Another Man's Treasure
by storietella2
Summary: Ana's like a daughter to Grace, so she fights hard to keep her oldest son's girlfriend in the family. Eventually, Grace convinces Ana to try her very reserved and mysterious youngest son. When one brother breaks Ana's heart and tosses it away, the other picks it up and makes it better than new. But will all hell suddenly break loose in the once tightly-knit Grey family?
1. Chapter 1

**Chapter 1** **–** **To Glorious New Beginnings**

 ** _(THE PRESENT)_**

 _I'm overwhelmed._

Ana's eyes proceed to ping-pong from ceiling to wall, and then all around her entire sphere. She feels completely out of her league.

 _This is way too fancy for my taste._

She's unable to comprehend the super-extravagance of her present surroundings. The grand sweeping crystal chandeliers. The massive floor-to-ceiling windows spotlighting Seattle's famous night-illuminated skyline. It's all overwhelming to her. Even the very air seeping through the vents permeate excessive style and elegance.

"Do you care for champagne?"

She's startled by the velvety interruption coming from across the table. _He belongs in a place like this_ , she thinks in the moment.

"Sure," she murmurs as their waitress approaches.

She's overwhelmed by her entire surroundings. The ambient classical piano plays as the dining room floor moves at a crawl, taking one hour to complete a full revolution. Every person working doesn't have a single hair out of place, nor a wrinkle in their uniform. Their ultra-pressed attire matches their pressed-on _superior-customer-service_ demeanor; from the tower's doorman, to the restaurant's greeter and wait staff.

 _They're all zombies_ , Ana concludes. _Well… except for this one._

"The 2008 Dom Perignon?" the young blonde waitress wearing a tuxedo without the jacket echoes. Blushing way more than anyone else, she's standing a little too close to Ana's date for anyone's comfort. The beautiful man in the suit who's the object of many affections nods and hands the drink menu off to the admirer.

"Excellent choice, sir," she replies. "I'll bring it right away along with your salads and hot bread." The waitress then turns to Ana who is now engaging in her own drink menu for the first time. "Would you like a cocktail?"

"Oh – sorry – I'm – looking," she startles the second she realizes the attention has shifted away from her date to her.

"Are you sure you're good with champagne?" the handsome gentleman checks once more, this time with a furrowed brow and a pursed lip.

As Ana's nerves kick into overdrive, it dawns on her that he remains elegant regardless of what he says or does. Even now, he comes across as very straight-laced and clean cut. _He's definitely the black sheep of the family,_ she cogitates. On the flip side, she doesn't think that he possesses a single _fun bone_ in his deliciously sculpted body. Sure, he has made her laugh many times before in the past, but it didn't seem intentional on his part. He's the very essence of deadpan. If she were to match up the words _chill_ or _humorous_ with a real live person, this man would be dead last to come to mind.

She's accustomed to laughing and doling out quips over a good meal; but tonight, she has yet to let out a genuine chuckle. Instead of breathing easy, she feels as if she's shuffling on pins and needles. If it were anyone else other than _him_ , they'd be the fun, rowdy table making a scene in the midst of the civilized folk. Ana knew from the very start that he was incapable of being as lively as the last guy that she went out on a date with. Regardless, she was hoping to be wrong. Yet so far, her initial expectations of how the night would pan out hold true.

 _What in the world was I thinking when I agreed to this?  
He's definitely the quieter, reflective, more mysterious… serious __**Grey**_ _._

 _But still, he's sexy as sin._

 _Virgin my ass._

The rogue ideation almost makes Ana choke on her own saliva.

"Sure," she finally replies to him in an awkward gasp. She then looks up at the waitress. "I'm only browsing," she clarifies. "The champagne is fine."

"Very well," the waitress beams. "I'll bring it right over." She then parts from them for the time being.

"Are you okay?" he asks in a tone that implies that he's humored by Ana's odd behavior.

She remains embarrassed over her sudden wayward thoughts. Before tonight, she'd never reflected in depth on how drop-dead gorgeous he was. Until now, she'd often bring her stray thoughts to an immediate halt before they took shape. Hell, even a blind person couldn't deny his male model good looks, so why had she for so long? Ana could no longer ignore the way his copper-toned hair remained in disarray, yet still managed to be a masterpiece on him. His impeccable bone structure. The manner in which his gray eyes managed to mesmerize and draw in whomever gazed into them.

 _My God._

If she's being honest with herself, she'd never actually denied any of his steamy attributes. But during the sum total of the time that she's known him, she'd always had some manner of impenetrable shield up. Then after all hell had broken loose, her feelings flipped in an instant. The barrier that once stood thick and tall was now severed beyond repair.

 _"_ _What about Christian?"_

When those very words trampled out of his own mother, Ana started to view him through a brand-new lens. But that didn't stop her from feeling extreme guilt for even entertaining the notion of going out with him.

 _Now here we are._

Ana's blue irises lower, then goes over to the table and up before it meets a kind gray gaze. As their eyes connect, time stands still. She's paralyzed. If she could break away in that moment, she would. And as his stare deepens, she senses a feeling of warmth brushing across the nape of her hair draped neck.

 _Don't you dare blush Steele._

She finally forces her eyes to fall down to the drink menu in front of her, feigning to explore the open pages.

 _He looks hella sexy in a three-piece suit. I've never seen him wear one before_ , she thinks to herself. Even the fine threads shimmer like gold in the muted atmospheric lighting.

Ana couldn't help but feel a little self-conscious. When she first saw him earlier that night, she regretted wearing the lacy black cocktail dress. But when he saw _her_ , his eyes opened wide and he wrapped his arms around her tiny waist. Once he whispered in her ear that she looked _very beautiful,_ her insecurities went away.

Until he brought her here.

"Holy crap," Ana gasps while pointing down at the menu. "I hope you ordered the glass and not the bottle." She sighs. "Although, I don't see the prices for individual glasses…"

"They don't offer it by the glass," he interrupts. She looks up and catches him smirking. "Don't worry about it. I've got it."

"That's a two-hundred-dollar bottle of champagne, Christian," she gasps.

His steely gray gaze almost unnerves her. "I never understood why they advertise the drink prices. Look at your dinner menu," he says with a single subtle head nod towards the larger hardbound bifold to Ana's right.

She reaches for it, opens it, and immediately starts to scan the pages. The skin creases between her eyes. " _Market value_. That's all it says for almost everything in here."

"Exactly," he says, resting his case.

Ana's head immediately shoots up and her gaze rejoins his. "How much is all this?"

Christian's expression hardens. "I told you earlier, don't worry about it. I asked _you_ out."

Her neck jerks back a little. " _True_... but not entirely true," she says, fighting back a grin. It's contagious.

"No, it's _entirely_ true. I _wanted_ to take you out. I've wanted to take you out for a very long time."

As that same warmth that popped up in the back of her neck began to spread across her cheeks, her head drops once more.

"You know," he starts, "I've never pegged you for the shy type in all the time that I've known you. In fact, I don't think I've ever seen you blush like this."

His words along with his sultry grin causes her skin to turn an even darker shade of pink. She's out of her element in the presence of this extraordinary man. This feeling is as foreign to her as it is for him to witness. No one has ever made her feel _this_ shy. She's perplexed that a guy that she's known for two years and has _known about_ for even longer could make her feel this way.

Ana remains silent, refusing to acknowledge the electric feel in the pit of her stomach. Meanwhile, all he can do is stare at her; his lips pressed together in amusement. He's doing a piss poor job at masking the quiver right at the top right edge of his mouth. He's itching to smile even more, but present circumstances prevent him from doing so. From the first moment he met her, Ana's very impression occupied a certain space deep down inside of him. It's an area that he refused to allow to see the light of day for a long time. That very sacred place would later uproot all on its own at the turn of the year.

He could no longer hide the way he felt about her.

Christian blinks out of his trance when he notices a young-looking man joining them. With a white linen draped across his shoulder, he pops the cork and pours the champagne into two flutes. Ana retrains her gaze at her surroundings. It's then when she notices that they've moved a quarter of the way around the restaurant. It amuses her how much things change when she's not paying attention. The metaphor isn't lost on her. The waiter twists the bottle of expensive champagne back into the bucket of ice, now placed at the table. Ana finally speaks up.

"I didn't know that this place even existed," she sighs in wonder.

"Where are some of the places you've eaten?" he inquires. "Besides the normal spots."

She tilts her head up sideways and thinks hard. "I've been to Canlis... _once_. El Gaucho."

"With Elliot?" He says the name as if it tastes bitter rolling off the tongue. She nods, and he stiffens before flicking the stem of his flute with his finger.

Ana's eyes shift back to her menu. "He'd never bring me here. No prices on the menu."

"He's not a member here. He's also rather cheap." _In more ways than one_ , he broods.

 _Cheap?_ Ana snorts. "Like you, he doesn't run a billion-dollar global enterprise, so he's very careful how he spends his money." His responding stare operates like a gravitational pull as she lifts her eyes to meet his. The voltage residing in her gut charges up all over again.

"Believe it or not, I am also very careful with my money. In general, I realize that people invest in the things that matter most to them; myself included."

His words coupled with his heated gaze cause her breath to catch right in the center of her throat. Flustered, she looks down at the table once more.

"I'm sorry," he murmurs. He immediately thinks that he offended her, but that isn't the true reason why she looked away.

Ana's stunned by the apology. Looking back up at him, she says, "No need. You're spot on." The charge in her belly shuffles into an aching sting. She can't help but remember the time when she found a recent receipt for Altura in her then boyfriend's jeans pocket. He told her to look there for a cash tip for the pizza delivery guy, forgetting what else he'd stuffed in there. She recalls the pain of eyeing " _Party of 2_ " in print, along with two entrees with a timestamp of 8:30 at night on Valentine's Day.

 _That was_ ** _our_** _night, Elliot._

Whoever his romantic company was, she had the gall to order _three_ fourteen-dollar Mai Tais. He wouldn't have allowed Ana to do that on his dime. Instead, he'd bitch about her not getting the draft special like him. As a result of his relentless penny pinching, Ana paid for her own cocktails whenever they went out.

"Can we make a pact tonight?"

Christian's silky voice immediately snatches her from out the depths of her despair. She watches as he lifts up his flute and gestures it towards her. Her gaze narrows. "What kind of pact?"

"Let's not bring him up ever again." He shifts his glass forward to propose a toast. "To leaving the past behind. And to glorious new beginnings."

As a warm smile shifts to his lips, she is mesmerized. Inspired, she follows suit and nods before they clink together to seal their good fortune. In the blink of an eye, Christian's earlier innocent look turns smoldering. It takes her by complete surprise. He then leans forward as if to share a secret.

"And if you allow me tonight, I promise you... you'll forget his name. I want to fuck away the very memory of him, Anastasia," he whispers.

Ana's glass nearly falls to the table as the air rushes out of her body.

* * *

 ** _(THE PAST – 32 Months Ago)_**

Ana Steele accelerated the ranks of an insurance giant in just thirteen months. Mylegent is located in the heart of downtown Seattle. She landed there six weeks after moving to the city. At the time, Ana told herself that the gig would only be temporary. Ana had her heart set on something more after graduating college. But when the phone calls, emails, and interviews didn't go her way, she decided to make herself comfortable at Mylegent. She'd be there a while longer, striving to be the very best claims agent possible.

Although her heart's set on books and working in publishing, she appreciated her job. If anything, working in insurance taught her a lot about herself. Usually when her phone rings, its bad news. The most fulfilling part of her job is that final phone call before a claim closes. Ana's superior customer service and her willingness to go above and beyond to get the job done hadn't gone unnoticed. Soon, she was being groomed to become a claims manager in record time. For now, she'd continue putting her best foot forward, giving her clients exactly what they needed until her promotion became etched in stone.

"No... Mrs. Millard, you don't have to do that," Ana chuckles over her wireless headset. She readjusts her posture in the swivel chair. Tammy Schmidt, her friend and next-door cubical neighbor snorts at the exchange.

"I've never had a claim closed this fast," the elderly woman raved over the phone. "My goodness. I certainly owe you a great deal, Ana."

"Just doing my job," Ana peps.

"And you do it so well. Please... let me send you my famous oatmeal chocolate chip cookies. Where's your call center located anyway?"

"We're in Seattle."

"Darn. I'm in Tampa."

"Yes, you are," Ana giggles. "So, no need to send those cookies. But if you insist, you can send me the recipe."

"Sorry. Can't do that," Mrs. Millard quickly refuses. "It's a secret family formula. That's why I need to ship them to you. Look, my youngest runs a fancy office. Perhaps I can drop them off at his place of business and have his secretary ship them via FedEx."

Ana sighs. "Mrs. Millard, I'm serious. Please don't trouble yourself." _And please lady, don't wreck another auto and cause more property damage due to your deteriorating driving skills._

"Really, it's no trouble at all. I think I have your address from a past email. I'll whip up a batch and send them your way. Sweetheart, you are truly my guardian angel."

She sighs again. "Thank you. You're too kind. Make sure you stay safe."

"You betcha," she says with spark. "I'll check in with you to see how you enjoyed the cookies – and you _will_."

Ana shakes her head knowing that there's nothing else she can say to change the kind woman's mind. The very the last thing Ana wants to do is offend a grateful client.

"Enjoy the rest of your day, Mrs. Millard."

"You do the same, Ana. Bye-bye!"

As soon as the call ends, Ana's forearm and head flops onto her desk's surface. After a few beats, she hears a chair rolling in her direction before feeling a pair of firm hands kneading her shoulders. Ana relaxes right away at her friend's expert touch. _Whoa, does she do this for Marty at home? If so, he's got it made._

"Another satisfied customer wanting to shower you with gifts?" Tammy says in humor. "What's it this time? Another Frito pie?"

"Oatmeal chocolate chip cookies," Ana moans.

"Oh, yay! Now _that_ I'll partake in. Even though I shouldn't."

Ana rises to sit erect and Tammy's hands fall. Ana sighs in disappointment over the massage's end, but she doesn't speak out. Tammy, who's also a senior claims agent, has been with the company four years longer than Ana. The shapely petite blonde beauty with the stylish pixie hairdo recently wedded her longtime boyfriend early this past summer. She often scolds her overly-ambitious friend over how fast she's climbing the corporate ladder due to her lack of a social life. Tammy has even tried to set Ana up with one of her husband's friends, which Ana put a stop to.

"If I get another _'thank you'_ gift box, I'm never going to drop these extra five pounds," Ana groans.

Tammy rolls backwards in her seat to get a better look. She searches Ana up and down with obvious exaggeration.

"Five pounds? _Where_?"

"It's there – trust me. Maybe it's all in my butt, but it's there."

Tammy rolls her eyes. "Well, if that's the case, that's freaking fantastic. You know butts are all the rage these days. You'll be hard pressed to find a bevy of _boob_ men nowadays. I think even Hooters' stock is suffering. That's what Marty told me not too long ago, anyways," she shrugs.

"Well, I guess I'm in luck then," Ana quips just before her phone rings.

 _Another one?_ – Tammy mimes in disappointment. She counted on more time to shoot the breeze with her friend, but Ana's been on back to back calls for most of the day. Ana shrugs in response before turning to her screen to view the incoming caller's information.

"Hello, this is Ana Steele. Whom am I speaking with?"

The caller groans, "Elliot Grey."

Ana senses from the sound of his voice that she definitely has her work cut out for her. She has a feeling that this isn't going to be like any of the other lightweight, easygoing claims today.

"Can you please verify your current address and phone number please?"

He lets out a jagged sigh. "Don't you have it right in front of you?"

"I need to verify it for security purposes, Mr. Grey."

After another agitated sigh, he recites, "Grey Construction, four-four-eighty-four..."

As the caller continues to rattle off his information, Ana spots her boss, claims director Marsha Wyatt, peering around her desk. Ana places the caller on mute.

"Yes?"

Marsha peeps at Ana's screen. "Bill just routed that client over to you."

Ana's eyes open wide. Bill Marsden is the general manager of the _entire_ claims group at Mylegent. _Why would he personally see to it that this account came directly to me?_

"Okay?" Ana pushes out with high uncertainty.

"As you know, corporate claims is tied up due to Hurricane Sandy. Elliot Grey is a VIP business client. His entire family is a big deal in this town. We want to give him the best and swiftest care possible."

 _This town? So, he's local_ , Ana thinks. The name _Elliot Grey_ or the last name _Grey_ meant nothing to her, but it apparently meant a great deal to Marsha, Bill, and the rest of the organization.

Ana flashes her boss a terrified gaze. "But I don't work business claims."

"We really need your help on this one, Ana. Please do Bill this one solid, and I promise it'll be the very last favor we ask before you're all set up in your own office with a shiny new title," Marsha pleads. Ana remains frazzled.

"Hello? Are you still there?" the impatient caller says in her ear.

 _Fine_ , Ana groans to herself. She nods at Marsha and her boss beams even wider at her, mouthing her many _thank yous_. Ana unmutes the call.

"I'm sorry, Mr. Grey. Yes – how can I help you today?"

"Well, um I just filed a police report on nine pickup trucks in my fleet that were vandalized overnight."

"Wow, I'm so sorry to hear that. Let me see if that report has been added to your file."

"It was _just_ done," he says to her as if he were speaking to a novice.

"If the report was filed by the Seattle PD, we should have the preliminary electronic version." Ana taps a few keys. " _Oh_ – here it is."

"You have it?" the caller says, surprised.

"Yes... I see information on the fleet of Chevy and Ford pickups." Ana continues to scroll down with her mouse. She gasps quietly at some of the images that begin to appear right before her very eyes. One image included a truck spray painted in black with the word _Destruction_ over the word _Construction_ where " _Grey Construction_ " was once prevalent on the driver's side door. That was actually the nicest thing she read among the vandalized fleet. "Wow, this looks...", _rather personal_ – Ana thinks to herself, but holds back on mentioning the last two words. Instead, she swallows and says, "I see some choice words spray painted on a few trucks."

"Assholes. Fuckers also threw bricks through some of the windows, too," he snaps. "Pardon my French."

Ana chuckles. "I understand why you're upset. Yep, I also see the damaged windshields. I see the dented hoods. Officer Pulaski's report appears to be very thorough. Normally we don't get excellent images like these until after we send our inspector to the site. Looks like the officer did most of the hard work for us. I also see in the report that the vandals wore masks and hats and are still on the loose."

The client sighs long and hard. "So, what happens next? I'm several trucks short and I have three critical deadlines that I need to meet. This will put me behind." Ana feels the agonizing frustration emitting from his very breath.

"Are the vehicles in question still parked in your fleet yard?"

"Yes."

"Alright, I'll send a few tow trucks your way and have them repaired immediately. Is there a shop you prefer, or would you like me to recommend one?"

"Whichever can get the job done the fastest."

"Sure. I think I have the perfect shop for you. Let me give Frank over at Armotti Collision a call to see if he has enough bandwidth to take care of you. If not, maybe we'll give Frank some of your trucks and let our other partners at Clover Body Shop handle the rest."

"Clover's pretty good. I've had work done there before," the caller says, sounding a tad bit hopeful.

"I'm glad to hear it. I'll go ahead and get the process rolling. If you have any questions, you'll be receiving an email right after this call. Feel free to reply to that note, or simply give me a call on my direct line," Ana says.

"That's it?" Grey says, astonished.

"Yep," she chuckles. "That's all for now."

"Man... I was sweating bullets," he sighs. "Normally I have my assistant handle this, but she just resigned the other day."

"Goodness," Ana utters empathetically. "Well as you can see, working with us isn't very difficult."

"I swear, this is the easiest call I've made all day," he sighs in total relief. "What's your name again?"

"Ana. Ana Steele."

"Well _Ana Steele_ , I hope you take real good care of me," he says, now speaking upbeat for the very first time.

"You can count on it. I'll be in touch, Mr. Grey."

"Elliot. Please," he insists. "We're working together now, right?"

She giggles. "Yes, we are. In fact, you're stuck with me until your claim is closed. I'll do my very best to make sure that happens sooner rather than later."

"Now, that's what I like to hear," he answers in a silky tone. Ana blinks, but quickly tosses away the unnerving feeling.

"Thanks so much for calling, _Mr_... Elliot," she quickly corrects herself. "Have a great day."

"You too, Ana."

...

 ** _(Five days later)_**

Doren Mitchell who resides in the next aisle of cubicles stops at Ana's desk and mouths – _Can I have another one?_ Ana nods in silence as she listens intently to the client through her headset. She watches Doren and frowns as he takes _two_ oatmeal chocolate chip cookies from the cellophane instead of _one_. Mrs. Millard's FedEx'ed savory treats are a big hit among the other sweet-toothed senior claims agents. They made it to Ana's desk first thing this morning. Immediately after taking her first bite, Ana sent the kind woman an email expressing her utmost gratitude, along with a fruitless plea for her family's secret recipe.

"You should've received a confirmation email yesterday with your reservation number for _four_ construction pickup trucks at United Rentals," Ana speaks into the earpiece.

"You sure you sent an email?" Elliot Grey says with skepticism.

"I most certainly did," Ana smirks. "I can send it to you again if you'd like."

"Please?" he pleads, his tone of voice asking for forgiveness. "I've been a mess since the start of this whole ordeal. I don't know my nose from my... _tailpipe..._ at the moment."

Startled by the unexpected choice of words, Ana sputters into laughter.

"I'm sorry," he sighs with a snort. "I have zero manners. That's clearly no reflection on my parents, who're actually living saints. I've actually turned out to be the exact opposite of how I was raised. In fact, my own dear mother doesn't even bother kissing this dirty mouth."

Ana giggles. "I appreciate your apt use of the word _'tailpipe'_ in place of a different word," she says with a lingering chuckle. "Way to keep it nice and clean. Very _mom_ -friendly."

"You think so?" he hums.

Ana's eyelashes flutter at the sensual change of tone coming through her right ear, but she quickly brushes the feeling aside. "I just resent the email."

"Great. Thanks, Ana."

"Not a problem."

"Hey... where are you guys located anyway?"

"In Seattle. Like you," she smiles.

"No shit?"

Ana laughs once more.

"Sorry. My sailor mouth strikes again."

Her eyes widen in surprise. "Were you in the navy?"

"Heck no," he chortles. "I only cuss like it."

Ana snickers with a closed mouth. "No worries, I'm a big girl. I've heard much worse in my line of work."

"Really," Elliot replies. "What brute would say such ugly things to a sweet, beyond helpful Miss Ana Steele? It is _Miss_ , isn't it?"

Ana's internal defense mechanism immediate kicks into high gear.  
 _Danger, Will Robinson! Relationships equal complicated; casual or otherwise._

"It is," she says, overly cautious.

"Yeah... Like I said, who'd ever use such foul language in the presence of a sweet, kind, most helpful young lady?"

"Oh, you'd be surprised," she remarks with the utmost honesty _and_ humor.

"I see the email for the truck rentals. My guys sitting on their thumbs will be very happy to get back on the jobsite today."

"Glad to hear it. Let me know if you need anything else."

"I certainly will. Thanks again. You take care, Ana."

"You too, Elliot."

"Who the heck was that?" a voice calls out from her periphery. When the line clears, Ana quickly swivels her seat to her right in order to bring Tammy into full view.

"It's the ' _high profile'_ ," she sighs with expressive finger air quotes, "business client that Marsha and Marsden threw my way yesterday."

"You're dealing directly with the client and not his assistant?"

"Mm hmm. He's assistant- _less_ at the moment."

" _Elliot_ , huh?" Tammy hums scandalously with a teasing smirk.

Ana cringes. "Stop."

"Is he married?"

"Tammy," Ana sighs.

"What's his last name? Let me look him up."

"No. I'm just handling his claim since corporate claims is all tied up. When his trucks are all set in two to three weeks, I'm done. Then I'll be moving into my new office."

"An office without any windows. An office without _me_ ," Ana's best work friend pouts. Ana flashes her a pouty look right back.

"If all goes according to plan, I won't be in that closet of an office for very long."

"I believe it. You'll kick ass no matter where you end up," Tammy touts in highest praise.

"Thanks Tam."

"So, what's Elliot's last name?"

Ana's eyes narrow. "Stop it," she scolds.

"You can either tell me, or I can look him up in your call log. Your choice."

Ana's beyond exasperated. "You're unbelievable, you know that?"

"Yep," she says proudly. "Three... two..."

"It's _Grey_ ," Ana snaps before the end of the nerve-wracking blackmail countdown. Well pleased with herself, Tammy swivels around in her chair and starts to click her mouse and tap on her keyboard.

"He's probably closer to my dad's age," Ana agitatedly rattles off. _Even though he sounds young._ "Probably married with kids. Anyway, it doesn't matter because I'm _not_ hooking up with a client." She definitively folds her arms.

"Hush," Tammy admonishes. "Is that Grey with an _'A'_ or an _'E'_? I'm coming up empty on Google."

"Good," Ana stubbornly strikes.

" _Grey Construction_... in Seattle, right? That'll help narrow things down."

"Dammit, Tammy," Ana groans. She was beyond exhausted with her friend trying to set her up with every young and single Tom, Dick and Larry. The newly minted Mrs. Schmidt was of the firm belief that no attractive professional young lady should be without a man. Ironically Ana's best friend and longtime roommate Kate agreed with Tammy's sentiment.

"Got it!" Tammy sparks, while Ana agonizes. "It's an _'E'_. And that's Elliot with one _'T'_ , not two, like _Elliott Bay_. Holy shit," Tammy gasps in total awe and reverence. "He's a freaking hottie supreme."

There were only a few men who were crowned with the coveted title of _Hottie Supreme_ in Tammy's dream book. Chris Hemsworth, Ryan Gosling, Brad Pitt... Oh, there was this past summer's mailroom college intern; a freshman. Ana referred to him as _jailbait_ when he was being pushed down her throat as a potential suitor. And of course, Tammy's own husband earned the title many years ago, so it wasn't a label that Mrs. Schmidt tossed out into the universe halfheartedly. Ana knew this, yet she didn't waver over a certain client in her caseload.

"I don't care," Ana says while turning to her workstation, coincidently to make notes in Elliot's digital file.

" _Jesus_. He looks like a blond god. Holy crap... that _body_."

Ana tries hard to ignore her overzealous friend while hoping for a distraction to veer off the subject of Elliot Grey. Thankfully, Tammy gets a call and Ana smirks in vindication.

...

 ** _(Start of the following week)_**

Ana hits the ground running after spending a very chill weekend with her roommate and their friends. However, an otherwise mundane Monday quickly ignites the moment she gets a call from her favorite new VIP client. She proceeds to bring him up to speed on the status of his claim. By the time she's all done giving him the rundown, he's nothing short of amazed.

"You are _so_ thorough. You think of things that I didn't necessarily think of... and I'm a pretty astute guy. I'm certain you have a rolodex full of clients who feel indebted to you," Elliot praises.

Ana can feel her cheeks beginning to blush. "Just doing my job."

"No Ana, you go above and beyond. Seriously," Elliot Grey raves through her earpiece. She blushes at the compliment. "You ordered a full workup on the rest of my fleet to ensure that nothing else was tampered with that night. Excellent call. Who could've guessed that while those three assholes were tearing up the outside of a few of trucks in view of the cameras, a fourth fuckhead was busy pouring water into fuel tanks of trucks we thought were untouched?"

"It was only a hunch," she says meekly.

"No, it was _genius_ on your part. How did you guess? Even the veteran cops didn't catch that. What made you think of it? Man... what in the world did you do _before_ coming to Mylegent?" he gushes in rapid fire. "Did you work in the FBI? Secret Service?"

Ana laughs. "You'd be surprised what comes across my desk on a regular basis. I've seen a lot of different situations in my line of work."

"I bet," Grey chuckles. "Hey... I know you have your fill of satisfied customers. What's the craziest thing a client has done for you as a result?"

A giggle escapes her lips as she thinks long and hard. "Well, just last week, a nice elderly lady insisted on sending me her ' _famous'_ cookies. So famous, that she refused to send me her recipe. I'm sure she paid a pretty penny to FedEx them from Florida, even after I told her to spare herself the trouble."

"No shit?" Elliot replies, humored.

 _He uses that phrase a lot._ She smiles at the thought.

"How were they?" he asks.

"I swear, they were the best cookies I've ever had. I feel bad for sharing them with my coworkers. They completely destroyed them," she groans lightheartedly.

"You've probably never had Cougar Mountain cookies before."

"Can't say that I have. But that nice lady's oatmeal chocolate chip cookies were ridiculously good."

"I doubt that they're as amazing as Cougar Mountain's. Where's your office exactly? You said last week that you're in Seattle."

"Yep. We're in the Rainier Tower."

"Seriously? And you've never had Cougar Mountain cookies? How long have you lived in Seattle?"

"For almost eighteen months. But I've lived here in Washington for most of my life.

"And you've never had Cougar Mountain cookies? Ana," he sighs with humor, "you don't know what you're missing. My absolute favorite are the chewy molasses and ginger cookies."

Ana knows that it's close to lunch time because her mouth is watering at the very mention of food. "That sounds fantastic."

"Trust me, it tastes even better than it sounds," he croons.

The phrase is an innocent one, yet Ana's body reacts to it in a completely different way. Her breath hitches quietly in her throat, but she quickly clears it. She snaps out of her wayward trance. A weekend has gone by, yet she still hasn't attempted to look up Elliot Grey on the internet. But today, she's finding it more and more difficult to remain totally ignorant of her client. She's delighted in Elliot's down-to-earth humor every time he called or sent an email regarding his claim.

Working with him was a breath of fresh air in an otherwise drab, mundane Seattle day. Ana appreciated the change of pace whenever he phoned. Still, she didn't want to teeter the line of unprofessionalism.

"I've taken up way too much of your time, Elliot," Ana says hastily.

A puff of air escapes his mouth, swatting away her remark like a fly. "You're taking very good care of me. Hell, I'll take your call over my broker or even my own mother," he says tongue-in-cheek. Ana giggles. "Damn, I hope you don't mind me saying this, but you have the sweetest little laugh."

Ana's caught off guard. _Don't you dare cross that line, Steele._

"I'm sorry... I hope I'm not creeping you out," he says, beyond apologetic.

"No worries," Ana says in a bit of a huff. "Hey, let me check one last thing to make sure you're all set." She studies the notes on her screen. "Looks like the first three damaged trucks in your fleet are done. The shop worked hard on them over the weekend. Feel free to keep the rental trucks you have if you need them until we're down to the last four. The water in the fuel tank fiasco extended your rental period."

"Dammit, I can't wait to get my hands on the assholes who did this," he growls under his breath.

"They were very careful according to the police report, but that doesn't mean at least one of the four didn't slip up somewhere. I hope all who were involved get caught soon," Ana says.

"Me too. I've got my all my best people on the case, as well as some of my dad's and my brother's contacts. I'm determined to find them."

"Sounds like it," Ana replies.

She's heard Tammy, her boss Marsha, and others babble on about the very prestigious Grey family. The youngest Grey son is apparently one of the most powerful magnates in the world. Ana wasn't sure if the youngest was Elliot or his brother since she tuned out after a few words of office chatter. She prefers to view her clients as they appear in their file and nothing else outside of that.

Ironically, an unchecked box on Elliot's digital file catches her attention.

"Oh, by the way, did you receive your claim agreement summary in the mail on Friday?"

"Yeah, I got it," Elliot said. "I signed it, but I meant to ask how to go about getting it to you."

"It came with an addressed, postmarked envelope. Just throw it in there and drop it in the mail."

"Can I just scan it and email it to you?" he says in a _no-brainer_ tone of voice.

"No, unfortunately it has to be signed in original ink. If you mail it today, I should get it in a day or two."

"But I'd rather save the stamp," Grey says too kindly.

"That's very admirable of you, Elliot," she teases, "but its pre-postage paid. We already covered the price of the stamp whether you use it or not."

"Hey, you said you're in Rainier Square, right? In the Tower? I'll be in the neighborhood for a lunch meeting. How about I just drop it off at your office?"

Ana's nervous system is now on the fritz. Her chest feels as if it's going to cave in at any moment, while her mouth immediately goes dry. _Oh my God, he wants to come_ ** _here_** _._ Instinctively, she inspects her gray pencil skirt and cream blouse while her hand reaches up to her long, lush chestnut hair to blindly tame it.

 _Calm down, Steele. He's just dropping off a document. Nothing more. If anything, he can leave it with the receptionist and I'll pick it up on my way back from lunch._

"Not a problem. You can leave it with the receptionist in our lobby on the twenty-second floor..."

"If you don't mind, I'd like to thank you _personally_ for all you've done to help me out over these past few days. Is that possible?" His voice sounds a bit softer. It's almost as if he's whispering to a baby. Ana's taken aback by the unprecedented request; speechless. After a few ticks on the clock of Ana's silence, Elliot's concern peaks. "Ana?"

"Sure," Ana finally spits out. Mentally she's kicking herself for the hasty, unfiltered response.

"Great. I'll meet you in the lobby. Around what time do you usually take off for lunch?"

Ana clams up but manages to push out her response. "Around twelve thirty until one thirty... _ish_." She closes her eyes regretting her clunky answer.

"Sweet," he breathes. "I'll get there before twelve thirty."

Ana clears her throat, but it doesn't help ease the tightening feeling around it. "Alright. See you then."

The second Ana hangs up from her call...

"Oh my God. He's coming here to see you!"

Ana turns her head and scowls at Tammy. "Do you ever take calls, or do you just listen in on mine?"

"I only listen when I hear the words _'Elliot'_ or _'Grey'_ ," Tammy proudly spouts back.

"He's just dropping off his signed claim agreement."

"Yeah, I heard. It's something he could hand off to his mail guy during the daily delivery, yet he chooses to go out of his way and bring it to you _personally_." Tammy bats her lashes, teasing in a flirty response.

"He's not _going out of his way_. He actually has a business lunch taking place not far from here," Ana nips in the bud. The expression on Tammy's face gives away that she's not falling for it. Stirred up, Ana pushes out in a firm whisper, "He doesn't even know what I look like."

"But you know what _he_ looks like," Tammy purrs.

"No, I don't," Ana counters donning an indifferent expression.

Tammy tilts her head sideways. "You mean to tell me that you haven't even looked him up?"

"That's what I'm telling you."

"Well, get ready to feast your eyes on some serious _Grey_ man candy," Tammy glees before clapping and rubbing her hands together. Perturbed, Ana's jaggedly exhales and turns her chair, focusing on notating Elliot's file before following up on another claim. Tammy closes her argument with, "Don't say I didn't warn you," and Ana doesn't even flinch.

...

Around 12:15, Ana gets a call from reception alerting her that she has a visitor waiting up front. Thankfully, Tammy is away from her workstation. In fifteen minutes, the two plan on meeting fellow colleagues Doren, Noah, and Isa in the lobby. From there, they'll head over to the pizzeria located a quarter of a mile away. It's a typical chilly rainy Seattle November day, but they were all used to it. Besides, it's always good to leave the _gray maze_ – as they called their office area – for a much-needed change of scenery.

Ana quickly opens her bottom desk drawer and plucks out her credit card-sized wallet and cell phone before making the journey towards the front of the building. She figured that she'd be prepared in case she decided to remain there after Elliot Grey dropped off his signed paperwork. Mylegent spanned four entire floors of the Rainier Square Tower. Although Ana's desk was located on the insurance giant's main floor, she and her claims team sat far north of the southern-facing main entrance. Walking the distance from one end to the other took nearly five minutes.

She managed to remain steady even though Tammy goaded her throughout the morning. But ever since reception rang her, a wave of nervous energy surged through the entire length of her body. _He's just dropping off paperwork_ , she tells herself for the umpteenth time. But in that moment, her self-reassuring was as effective as a pacific northwestern mist during a raging forest fire.

The very moment she reaches the lobby, she spots a male figure wearing an opened three-quarter length brown jacket over a pressed blue shirt. His dark slacks reached down to the mouth of his polished brown loafers. His curly blond hair, bouncy and bountiful as if he only used the very best conditioner that no one has ever heard of. His shoulders were broad, and his blue eyes twinkled once they connected with hers.

 _Holy crap, he's so attractive._ Ana blinked herself out of her haze and turned on her _claims agent_ charm. Only then did she recognize that he was holding the handle of a brown paper gift bag, along with a manila envelope.

When he shifts and sees her approaching, his eyes open wide as well as his mouth. He's astonished. "Ana?"

She smiles and nods. "Elliot," Ana beams kindly. They now stand toe to toe.

Surprising her, he reaches in and hugs her tight. "You don't know how much this means to finally meet the angel who help save my fleet," he mutters close to her ear. Ana freezes as the side of her face touches the skin on his neck. He's much taller than she is, so she is thankful to be in heels or else he'd be like a tree towering her. _He's so..._ ** _manly_** _._ She is immediately taken by the strength of his embrace, his fresh scent, and his undeniable hunky looks.

Remembering himself while recognizing that she'd only pat his back and didn't fully reciprocate, Elliot releases her. "Oh, I'm so sorry. I'm a hugger," he says with a lopsided grin. _I'm not_ ** _really_** _sorry. This girl is fucking hot_ , he thinks to himself. _Holy shit._ He's so glad that he decided to stop by and finally meet the face behind the voice. She looked even better than he'd imagined.

"I get it. Not a big deal," Ana chuckles. The nauseating feeling in her gut churns even more as he continues to stare at her as if she's an angel sent from heaven.

"Oh," he says, snapping out of it. "Here's the signed document." He hands her the envelope.

"Thank you for coming," she replies with a warm smile.

He couldn't help but to think of something else when she said that, but he abandoned the forbidden thought. Instead, he decided to let her know in his own way that he was interested in getting to know her outside of business. "If I wasn't meeting with a future client, I'd treat you to lunch," he says in a warm tone that agitates Ana's synapses even more.

"No, it's fine. Thank you," she says in a breathy response. "I'm happy I could help."

As Elliot's eyes look down at the bag that he's holding, Ana's eyes focus on his crown of glistening blond curls. They looked amazing. When his eyes lifted back up and met hers, she felt exposed. His blue irises were wicked and gleaming. Her breath catches in her chest.

"Hey, remember our little talk about Cougar Mountain cookies?" he says with the most handsome smile. He holds the bag out towards her and she gapes at him.

"Oh wow, you didn't have to do that..."

"I insist," he says in the sweetest tone. "There's a box for you to share, and one for you to take home. The moment you take your first bite, you'll thank me." He raises the bag up, urging her to take it. She finally does.

"I'll do it now. Thank you, Elliot," she says with a shy smile.

"You know, you're even more gorgeous than I imagined, and you were pretty damn hot in my mind."

Ana's speechless. While taking him in, she thought about how the photographs she saw didn't do the blond prince justice. He looked mouth-wateringly delicious. Ana quickly puts those thoughts under subjection.

"Thanks again for the cookies," she exhales.

He can tell that she feels uneasy, so he decides to grant her a little more space. "Enjoy your lunch, and the rest of your day."

"You as well. Good luck at your meeting," she beams.

He nods, his eyes – hooded. Her heart practically skips a beat as he turns on his heel and heads towards the glass doors.

"Ana Steele," she hears an oh-so familiar voice call out. Ana closes her eyes and sighs before turning behind her to spot Tammy, Doren, and Noah. Doren has flawless brown skin with dark tapered hair, while Noah's a floppy-haired brunet with fair skin. The two guys along with Tammy close the gap between them and Ana.

"What's _that_?" Doren says while grasping the handle of Ana's paper bag. "More _thank-you_ goodies to share with your friends?"

Ana tugs it away from his hold. " _Mine_. They're Cougar Mountain cookies."

Doren gapes at her. "What? I _love_ those!"

"They are freaking fantastic," Noah co-signs. "Although, those cookies from Mrs. Millard were _pret-ty amazing_."

"Yeah they were," Doren tags on, licking his chops. "But Cougar Mountain cookies, though..."

"I'll share some after lunch," Ana smirks. The two boys light up like children being promised a treat and she laughs. And although she's grateful for the minor distraction, she knows that it won't last for long. No longer delaying the inevitable, she turns to face Tammy. "Hey, where's Isa?"

"Hey, let's talk about how hottie supreme Elliot Grey was just sizing you up over there," Tammy says, killing the topic of baked goods. "He is _very_ interested."

"Tammy, _stop_."

"Oh boy," groans Doren. Noah shakes his head in commiseration.

"And so are you," Tammy adds with a self-satisfied smirk. Ana gapes at her, appalled. Tammy is not swayed. "He's hot, Ana. _You're_ hot."

Ana doesn't know where to begin, yet she knows that Tammy knows exactly how she's going to respond to the statement. So instead of going on another diatribe about how wrong it is to see clients outside of work, Ana simply says, "Nope."

"Ana... _come on_ ," Tammy whines, but Ana continues to repeat the same refusal over and over again.

As the day moved on, Ana would bark some variation of _"no"_ at least two dozen more times. In the past, she's warned Tammy about ' _pulling a Kate'_ and trying to hook her up with some random guy. Ana was young and content with her life as it stood. As far as she was concerned, romantic relationships only complicated life. She knew that men often found it difficult to remain faithful in a society that embraced sexual freedom. But Ana was old-school. She valued the heroes and heroines of her favorite classic novels. She knew exactly what she wanted in a man and didn't suffer fools gladly.

Sure, Elliot Grey was gorgeous and had a great sense of humor, but it took a lot more than that to whet Ana Steele's appetite.

...

 ** _(The next day)_**

Ana's frozen in place when her eyes meet a beautiful fall arrangement placed in a clear vase with a big red bow. The bouquet contained several multi-colored roses, lime-colored carnations, sunflowers, and purple kale. The burst of color is accented with lush greenery and dried lotus pods.

"Special delivery from hottie supreme," Tammy announces from the edge of her mouth without turning away from her screen. Ana shifts her stance towards Tammy, wondering how she beat her in to work for a change.

"How do you know who they're from?" Ana asks with hooded eyes.

"Just a strong hunch." Tammy's eyes remain laser-focused on her work, but her satisfied side smirk gives her away.

After powering on her computer and sipping tea through a travel mug, Ana reaches for the tiny envelope in the plastic floral pick holder. She slides the card out and reads.

 **ANA, THANKS FOR EVERYTHING.**  
 **I STILL OWE YOU LUNCH.**  
 **– ELLIOT**

The butterflies run rampant in her stomach after taking in the words.

"So, was I right?" Ana's neighbor quips.

"Shut up, Tammy."

...

A week later, Ana finds herself on the phone again with Elliot Grey himself. Eight trucks that were vandalized in his fleet are now repaired, leaving several more to go. In spite of the inconvenience, Grey is well pleased that his construction business hasn't suffered. Still, the individuals that did this remain on the loose.

"Ana, what are you doing for lunch today?" he asks out of nowhere.

She's startled. " _I_... I actually brought my lunch today. I have a full docket of claims that I need to whittle down before the weekend."

"All work and no play, huh?" he teases in a sensual tone that catches Ana's breath.

"Yep," she chuckles nervously. "I'm a dull girl."

"Somehow I don't believe that," he croons, making Ana feel weak in the knees despite sitting.

"I'm sure it won't be long before your fleet of trucks are all back in working order," she says, changing the subject.

"You want to hear something funny?" he sweetly sings. "I kind of want them to take their time. It gives me a good reason to hear your voice every day."

She's speechless.

" _Or_ , I could just man the hell up, stop thinking about it all the time, and finally ask you out."

Now, she's stupefied. The silence is deafening on both sides.

"Ana?"

She's beyond hesitant, but she doesn't want to lead him on.

"I'm flattered... really. I am."

" _But_?" he says in an upbeat tone, but he's clearly disappointed with the potential kiss-off.

"Unfortunately, I can't see my clients outside of work," she says as clearly and quietly as possible. She knows there are listening ears nearby that wouldn't hesitate to thump her in the center of her forehead if they heard her turning down _the_ Elliot Grey.

"What about _after_ my claim's closed? Will that still be an issue for you? I'd no longer be _your_ client." he craftily proposes.

"But... you don't know me," she argues, trying her very best to remain calm and not cause a scene. Yet, her own body betrays her; her pulse races and her palms are clammy.

"I _want_ to get to know you better. You intrigue me, Ana. You've even managed to slide into my dreams," he pleads.

Ana has never dealt with a man so forthcoming. Here is this stranger pouring his heart out to her during what should be a strictly professional phone call. And although his charming words waxed poetic, she remained skeptical of the situation. Elliot Grey was a wealthy business owner and playboy. Yes, she finally caved at home the same evening after they met face to face and managed to search him on the internet. She saw images of Elliot at various charity events, premieres, and high-profile business launches. Many of these photographs showed him hugged up with a different girl in a wild assortment of flavors. This intimidated her.

Ana's never been impressed by wealth or status, so those things bothered her as far as Grey was concerned. But if she pushed all that aside, the man was simply gorgeous, thoughtful, and funny. _So, what's the problem?_ Ana couldn't help but be shell-shocked from her first bonafide relationship in college.

 _Doug Dorsey certainly fucked it up for everybody._

"Mr. Grey..."

"Elliot."

"... I can't. I'm so sorry." And without thinking, she disconnects the call. Suddenly, a rush of fear floods in.

 _I just hung up on a VIP client.  
Fuck, I'm toast._  
 _I can kiss that corner office goodbye._

...

 ** _(Six days later)_**

Late morning, Ana pushes through the glass door. She's relieved when her eyes meet a familiar smiling face. Thankfully there's no line as she approaches the front counter. Working solo is an attractive, dark-haired, brown-eyed young man. He's donning a white apron over a flannel shirt and faded jeans. When Ana reaches him, he leans over the counter to kiss her on the cheek.

"Hey, how's it going?" she asks after he leans back.

The guy immediately turns and starts preparing her usual drink order. Emerald City Café is a quaint little coffee shop located in Rainer Square. Her good friend José Rodriguez has been working here ever since he quit Mylegent last spring. He preferred the flexibility of the coffee shop, which gave him more time to focus on his dream of becoming a professional photographer. He's had a rough start, but at least he was moving ahead. Ana admired that about him. He wasn't afraid to take risks, while she felt that she was settling in life. She'd hope that some of his bravery would finally rub off on her.

"It's going. Slow and steady."

"Any potential gigs lined up?"

"I decided to do that engagement photoshoot next week."

The lack of excitement in his tone is not lost on Ana, yet she remains delighted. "That's great! I told you, any job is good. At least you're building up your portfolio."

"You know I'm a landscape guy," he sighs as he quickly dips a teabag into a to-go cup and tosses it out right after. He hands the cup over to Ana and she immediately drinks from it. "I don't like shooting people."

"I know. But maybe this can open up more doors. And once everyone sees how talented you are, they'll give you carte blanche to shoot whatever you like."

José's skepticism didn't let up. "I don't think taking photographs of Jack McDonnell and Maggie Smith will make any sort of splash. It would take shooting a high-profile engagement for me to get buzz."

"How about one of the _Grey_ brothers," Ana teases, but regrets her words the moment they exit her mouth.

"Wait, one of them's getting married?" he gapes in total shock. "I didn't hear that, and you know I would've being that Maria keeps up with all the celebrity gossip."

Ana sighs. "I honestly have no idea. I've been assigned to work a business claim for one of them back on the first of the month. I had no clue who the Greys were."

José's eyes remain agape. "They're only the single most powerful family in Seattle – hell, the _world_. Hey... you didn't tell me you're working corporate claims now."

"I'm not," Ana frowns. "Bill Marsden routed the claim to me since corporate claims had the recent hurricane to deal with."

"Damn, so they give you this high-profile claim. Which Grey? You've been working with the personal assistant?"

"Elliot Grey. And no, I've been working with him directly."

" _What!_ " he says, shocked again.

"He calls me every day. _And_ he sends flowers every day. Even after I said ' _no'_ to going out to lunch with him. Anyway, I don't know exactly how to handle this..."

"Excuse me?" José interrupts. "He sent you _flowers_?"

"And cookies. And chocolates. Delicious cookies and yummy chocolates, mind you," Ana says, rolling her eyes. "My cubical looks like a botanical garden and a bakery. I had to start giving stuff away."

"Wait a minute... he's been sending you _gifts_?"

"Well, they started pouring in right after he stopped by the office to hand in his signed claims agreement."

José laughs. "He saw you in person. Yep, he wants you. Hell, I mean look at you. You're a knockout, Steele." He takes in her tight gray slacks and frilly off-white blouse under her long dark brown trench coat. She always looked good to him no matter what she's wore.

Ana smacks his arm from across the counter and he laughs.

"You need to stop turning down guys all the time and start giving somebody a chance."

Her eyes close when a painful reminder comes back to the surface.

"Ana, stop it. I'm not talking about us."

She always felt that José remained sour after she turned him down a year ago. However, she was right to say _no_ ; they were better off as friends. Soon after, José would meet his perfect match, Maria. At the end of the day everyone was grateful that Ana said _'no'_. But like Kate and Tammy, José wanted to see his good friend happy, too. It saddened him to witness Ana turning down nice guys every time their group of friends hung out.

"It's only lunch," he pleads. "If he turns out to be a royal jerk, it'll be that much sweeter to tell him to go take a hike."

"No way," Ana says with a stiff jaw.

"You know you want to say, _'No way, José'_. Go ahead and say it," he says, deadpan.

Immediately, Ana lightens up and starts to laugh.

"Hey, does he at least make you laugh? Does he have a great sense of humor?" His question takes her aback. Unable to lie, she nods, exasperated that he's hitting a good point square on the nose. "Well at least you'll have a good time chatting over lunch. If that's all it is, then it is what it is," he says, hunching his shoulders. "Don't go in with expectations. Just have lunch. You know you want to, anyway," he teases with a grin.

José knew her well. She has definitely mulled over the thought for weeks now. And as time flew by, it was getting closer and closer to the day where she'd have to close Elliot's claim. That would be the very day that the door of opportunity would close, too.

He'd have no other reason to call her.

* * *

 ** _(THE PRESENT)_**

After leaving dinner atop the massive skyscraper, Ana finds herself in the passenger seat of Christian's R8 once again. This time, she's tonguing down the car's owner over the center console. Both of his hands are clasping her chestnut-colored hair to the scalp. One of her hands threads his silky copper mane, while the other caresses his back through his suit jacket.

 _This feels natural, not foreign,_ Christian thinks to himself. _It's as if my back was created for only her touch._ He's not the slightest bit afraid. In fact, he doesn't even flinch. _She's finally where she belongs._

He's waited his entire life for her; for this moment.

She moans, completely lost in his kiss and his touch. The second their mouths collided after the car doors shut, there was no guilt from either party. All that sexual tension over dinner finally poured out into the atmosphere.

In the midst of their exchange, Christian immediately has a thought. He knows full well that he's going to absolutely regret speaking it, but he has to. He _needs_ to. Reluctantly, he pulls his lips away from hers, and she sighs in protest. His fiery gray eyes burn into hers and she trembles.

"Come home with me," he says gruffly.

"Yes," she gasps, barely breathing.

He turns and immediately starts the car. "Buckle up," he says, and she knows that his command is both for now _and_ later. Still burning with desire, she fastens her seatbelt and he does the same before peeling out of the parking garage.

It was over an hour ago when his gaze first turned dark and he vowed to fuck away every trace of heartbreak caused by her recent ex. Ana then knew that the longstanding rumors about Christian being either a thirty-year-old virgin or secretly gay were false. The manner in which he commanded a room and captivated an audience, there was no way in hell that this man never touched a woman, or vice versa.

When Ana shocked even herself by kissing him moments ago, and he'd kissed her back with equal ferocity, her impressions were sealed. Hell, she nearly came in her underwear from that kiss alone. _What would he do next?_ As he swiftly but skillfully turned from one street to the next, Ana remained both excited and mortified by her _'yes'_. There was a time when the three-letter word wasn't even in her vocabulary.

For some reason, he made saying _'_ _yes'_ as simple as breathing, even after all she'd been through.

* * *

 ** _A/N: I'm back! So, what do you think of the story so far? Let me know! – ST2_**


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2** **–** **Brothers from Another Mother**

 ** _(THE PRESENT)_**

Ana's heart pummels inside her chest the entire time for various reasons, as Christian whips his R8 like a skilled stunt driver. He's focused. Unshakable. He even made the concerted effort to not even look at her for most of the drive. He didn't want her to second guess her _'yes'_ as if merely glancing at her would give her cause to back down. Christian resolved at the very start of their journey that the next time he'd gaze at her, he _will_ be touching her. Everywhere.

Normally he wouldn't drive so carelessly, but a raging hunger… a desire unlike any other had consumed him. Eventually, they reach the underground parking garage of Christian's high-rise apartment building. He dips down below it and lowers the driver side window to swipe a key fob. As soon as the barrier gate lifts, both he and Ana know immediately that there is no turning back from this.

 _What am I doing?_ – Ana asks herself as her pulse nearly beats out of her skin.

 _Finally, she's going to be mine,_ Christian internally breathes in triumph. To say that bringing her home with him is a coup would be a severe understatement. He dreamt of this moment for so long.

And if Ana was being completely honest with herself, that kiss back in the parking lot after dinner practically sealed the deal for her. She was desperate not to feel anymore. After experiencing a wild range of emotions for nearly three years, she wanted to be totally numb again. She longed to be a trace of that girl she was before Elliot Grey pranced like a peacock into her life, turning it upside down. Perhaps he'd never find out about her planned tryst tonight with his younger adoptive brother. But _she_ would know. Her knowing would give her valid reason not to ache as much as a result of Elliot's gross indiscretions.

 _Nothing is fouler than fucking your ex's brother._

 _I'd be just as dirty as he is._

Not only did Ana want Christian to bang away the very thought of Elliot, but she also wanted him to thrust away all of the trauma she'd endured. But is that truly the only thing she wants? Will this just be about the sex? Is this simply a revenge ploy for her?

If Ana was being completely honest with herself, she also wanted _Christian, the man_.

From the moment she met him at his birthday party, she instinctively wanted to experience a side of him that no one ever could. _Not his mother, nor his father. Not Elliot. Not some secret fling._ Christian Grey's very presence personified confidence, poise, and control, _and_ it commanded the utmost respect. He was an extremely complicated man, and Ana wanted to break him down to his bare core. At the dinner table this evening, she saw him in a totally different light. He peeled back just one more layer for her. Believe it or not, she felt honored.

Meanwhile, Christian was beyond ecstatic to finally be able to touch Ana. In his eyes, she's like no other. She was very precious to him from the start; a rare gem that he wanted to restore. He's contemplated this exact moment for many, many months. Yes, he would taste her first. Hell, the man's craved her for far too long not to take full advantage of her body. But afterward, he's going to do something that his brother should have done – _besides remain faithful_.

Christian plans on spreading out all his cards on the table for Ana to see. He knows that she seeks honesty, and he's willing to give that to her from the start. This wasn't a decision that he came to lightly. In fact, this was something that he'd worked out since his thirtieth birthday. And now that his very reason for changing is actually coming home with him right now, half the battle is half won.

He knows that Ana will thoroughly enjoy everything he has in store for her body. No one would ever make her come as hard and as many times as he'd make her tonight; he knew that. He was extremely confident in his ability to please her physically. There was only one thing that frightened him: Her leaving and never returning.

Would the mind-blowing sex even matter if she reacted negatively to the dark secrets that he planned on sharing? _Will she stay? Will she go?_ He contemplated working her body to such perfection, that she'd be totally addicted to him. In this state, she would even stomach the most egregious part of his past. _It is deep down in my past, after all,_ he reflected. In spite of his anxieties, remaining silent about his sordid past was not an option. He wanted zero secrets with Ana.

In the past, there were countless red-carpet affairs and galas that Christian attended alone. Even at events where he was the main attraction or keynote speaker, he did not bring a date. This, of course, generated years of rumors that the elusive Christian Grey was secretly gay. Even members of his own family speculated that he had never so much as touched a woman.

But everyone Christian cared about had no inkling about his body count. A plethora of women, who ironically looked similar to Ana in appearance, had come and gone. He would never introduce any of them to his mother. He would never put them on display on the red carpet under his arm. In the very beginning, there might have been some guilt in segregating his strictly sexual relationships from the rest of his life. Soon, that guilt would totally wash away. His mind became reprobated, fully acclimated to the road of self-destruction he paved himself. It wasn't _what_ he did, it was _why_.

Then came Ana. From the moment Christian set eyes on her, he knew that she was unlike any woman that he'd ever met. Sure, there was no denying that she was his type. However, her spirit was like no other. He knew it was absolutely natural for his mother to take to Ana so greatly. He just didn't expect his own mother to champion his desires to claim Ana, while neglecting the wishes of her other son.

Watching the Elliot/Ana train wreck from a distance as Christian's heart began to expand for Ana nearly drove Christian insane. In fact, Christian spent the better part of two years trying to purify all thoughts concerning her. _Fuck, she's my brother's girl for crying out loud_ , he'd often tell himself. But unlike Christian, his brother wasn't diligent in hiding his roving eye and weak will when it came to other women. This was something that Christian never understood. He knew that his brother had a rare pearl with Ana, and Elliot was swine.

In the past, Christian took great pride in his ironclad self-control and discretion when it came to the opposite sex. Witnessing his brother overextend himself with his many admirers, as well as humblebrag about all the tail that he caught and set free, always amused Christian. Until Ana. When she came along, Elliot's game was no longer fun to watch. No, Ana was different. The fact that Elliot kept her around the longest said a great deal. Ana was also the only girl he brought home that both Grace and Carrick fully connected with.

She was the only woman Christian connected with. _Ever_.

Christian knew beyond a shadow of a doubt that Elliot didn't deserve her. But did _he_? Did Christian deserve to be with her? Beyond the dashing and beautiful exterior, he had so many deep, dark, and nasty secrets. He then began to realize – _How can I dare say that my brother is not worthy of her when I'm not even worthy of her?_ He knew he had work to do on himself.

There were many things that he had to sort out within first. But as time moved on, he started to see Ana as _his_. He deeply cared for her. And what made it worse was the phone calls he'd get from his mother lamenting about the way Elliot was treating sweet Ana.

That's when Christian began to grow even more spiteful of his brother. Anger was just the exact push he needed to truly start working out some of his own demons. Before then, he'd accepted his own _quirks_. He told himself that he would always be that way, and there was just no way around it. As long as all the rules were out in the open and he wasn't hurting anyone, then he felt at liberty to continue living life as he had.

It wasn't until he turned thirty that he was forced to take inventory of his life. Sure, he was a beyond successful self-made billionaire. However, he wasn't getting any younger. Although Christian wasn't very religious, it was a bible verse once taught to him by his maternal grandfather that ironically helped shift his focus.

 _"_ _When I was a child, I spoke and thought and reasoned as a child.  
But when I grew up, I put away childish things."_

Christian purposed to change not only to become a grown man but to become the man that Ana absolutely couldn't live without. And at that realization, his cement wall of will crashes and he turns his head to finally gaze over at Ana with reverence. It so happens that she was already studying him as he drove. His fiery gray eyes instantly turn her back into a puddle of lust.

As quickly as Ana could collect a single thought, Christian was already parked, swinging out of his seat, and gliding over to her side. She didn't have a chance to pull the lever, he was already opening the door and carefully guiding her out of her seat. Once she's standing, his eyes lock in with hers, and they are frozen together in time.

They are both lost in each other for just a flash – but for Ana, it was like she'd teleported into eternity. She felt a slice of eternal paradise in the way he looked at her. She felt protected. Adored. Wanted. All the things that she always wanted to feel with Elliot, she felt everything in a span of five seconds with Christian. The wave ebbing and flowing in her gut nearly brings her down to her knees.

Christian carefully shuts the door behind her, but the sound of it is enough to snap Ana back to the now. He immediately takes her hand. "Let's go before I take you right here and now," he rasps.

The beating pulse in between her thighs permeates even more at the promise of his words. Christian leads Ana away while she's in a daze, but her eyes still manage to take in the impeccably washed and polished vehicles lined up to the left and right of the R8. Two SUVs. A limo. A jeep. A town car. And that's only what she could identify at first glance.

"Wow, everyone here keeps their cars _so_ clean," Ana murmurs. "Makes me feel especially bad. I really need to wash my car." A clipped nervous chuckle escapes her.

"Taylor's good like that. He's very diligent in keeping my vehicles clean at all times," Christian says matter-of-factly. Ana gapes at him as they swiftly continue onward. His determined long strides nearly tire her legs in no time flat.

" _All_ those cars over there are yours?" she gasps. He nods nonchalantly before calling the elevator. It immediately arrives.

 _Holy shit_ , she thinks to herself. She's always known that he was loaded, but she didn't comprehend the full extent of his wealth. It was something that she'd never talked about with Elliot, Grace, or even Christian himself. It was also something that she'd never truly thought about. But after the extravagant experience at the restaurant, followed by the sight of Christian's impressive fleet of luxury automobiles, Ana knew that she only saw the tip of the iceberg. She had a strong inclination that his home was about to knock her socks off, as well as the very man himself. She quickly thinks back to the splendor of the glass Grey House _castle_ downtown, and how the man standing beside her is at the helm of it all.

But as soon as the elevator arrives, and they step inside, all of the material thoughts quickly disappear in a thick vapor. _Holy shit_ , Ana thinks, as the sexual tension in the air instantly fills her nostrils.

Instead of selecting a floor, Christian hits the pound key on a small keypad located just above the cluster of large buttons one would normally push. He follows with a long succession of numbers, not bothering to obscure it from Ana's view. The doors immediately shut and the car proceeds to swiftly glide upwards, startling Ana. He'd taken the exact elevator ride countless times. It's so native to him that he never feels the force of moving straight to the top of the Escala building without stopping. But for the first time ever inside this car, he feels something else. It's the same feeling he felt while riding the elevator at the mammoth skyscraper to and from dinner with Ana – except multiplied.

What's uncanny is that Ana feels the very same. The pulse permeating in her center takes her in such a way, she's fully convinced that no matter how close the two might become tonight, it will never be close enough. In fact, she nearly forgets that Christian is still holding her hand. At that moment, he squeezes it, prompting her to look up from the floor.

When their two sets of eyes meet again, they both have the same urge to jump on the other's bones. If it weren't for Christian's gift of iron-clad self-control, he'd fuck her right here and now. And if it weren't for Ana's total lack of control in her present environment, she would've been confident enough to throw all caution to the wind, as she had earlier when she kissed him.

The car finally stops, and the doors slide open, but not soon enough in Christian's mind. Before Ana can take in the foyer's splendor, he's already pinioned her body against the nearest wall. She gasps, and his tongue immediately slides inside the breach. She moans; he groans. She answers his nonverbal plea with one of her own. Soon, her hands re-acquaint themselves with his hair, while his hands proceed to explore her all over. The small of her waist. Her hair. Her ass.

Ana's slowly burning up on the inside, while Christian's determination escapes through his throat, producing a grunt. He suddenly pushes his erection into her thigh with gusto, letting her know what she is capable of doing to him. Ana nearly falls apart at the seams when she feels his arousal. He is rock solid and beyond the point of desire. She meets him right where he is, matching his desire with hers, as she pushes her body up against his.

"I want you, Anastasia," he breathes before pressing his mouth to her throat. She moans, throwing her head back against the wall. "I want you _badly_ ," he qualifies.

The moment she says, "I want you, too," he swiftly takes her up into his strong arms and carries her out of the foyer and through the apartment. Ana has a powerful feeling that the sudden move is a foreshadowing of a night that she would _never_ forget.

* * *

 ** _(THE PAST – 29 Months Ago)_**

Thanksgiving had come and gone. Christmas and New Year's moved on as well. No matter how much Ana's friends urged her to finally go out with Elliot Grey, she remained gun shy. She couldn't bring herself to say _'yes'_.

In spite of that, the gifts and the _'I just called to say hello, beautiful'_ calls at work would continue, but not daily. He'd send her flowers every Monday, now. And if he managed to get through her busy line on a Wednesday, he only was able to squeeze in a word or two just to let her know that he was still thinking of her.

Before Christmas, Ana would move from the tight cubical next to Tammy, to a small office not too far from where she once sat. Her direct office line would soon change, but it wasn't difficult for Elliot to obtain that number, too.

Whenever Elliot would find himself at Rainier Square, he'd sit inside his pickup and watch the swarms of bodies flowing to work. He'd observe each female in hopes of catching a glimpse of Ana. He knew that this was foolish, and he'd surpassed the act of stalking. He'd never pursued a girl for _this_ long. In the past, he's always had the ladies on standby. There was never just _one_.

But there was something about Ana.

He needed to figure out why he was so taken by a girl that he hardly knew.

And Ana wanted to know why this man refused to quit. It had been nearly three months since she first turned him down for lunch. Back then, her curiosity continued to get the best of her, which led her to set up an 'Elliot Grey' Google alert. There were maybe a few small news items about him. He'd attend a fundraiser here, or a holiday charity event there. Lately, he hadn't been photographed with arm candy. These days, the eligible bachelor who's in his early-thirties stepped out solo.

Guilt started to sink inside of Ana. Of course, the constant nagging of her friends didn't help matters much. However, she couldn't help but think that this was all a coincidence. _Surely, this extremely attractive man wasn't waiting patiently for me to go out with him. Elliot Grey can have any woman he wants_ , she often thought. _Why would his world completely stand still for some regular girl working at an insurance company?_

But it did. Elliot couldn't focus on anything without thinking about Ana. He'd etched her face like a brand to his brain. The sound of her laughter would echo in his thoughts at the most random times. He'd even told his best friend Steve about her. After a while, Steve would tell him to forget about her, but he couldn't. Elliot wanted her. So, when February rolled around, he decided to work out a solid plan. He'd have to pull a lot of strings to make it happen. When everything was locked in place, all hope was riding on Ana finally saying ' _yes'_. It was a longshot, but he was up for the challenge.

On a late Tuesday morning, Ana was unassuming. She expected her weekly call from Elliot Grey tomorrow, even though his claim had closed late last year. Yesterday, there were flowers delivered to her office. It was a beautiful Valentine's Day inspired arrangement signifying hugs and kisses. Ana gasped as soon as she set eyes on the two dozen long-stemmed flowers; half red tulips and half red irises arranged in a clear ruby ombré vase with a big red bow. Ana couldn't take her eyes off it. These were going to stay in her office as long as possible. There, she could only keep flowers and plants that didn't rely heavily on sunlight since there was none in her new office. Among the ones that couldn't stay in her office, she'd take some home while giving the others away to friends.

However, it was yesterday's arrangement that helped propel Ana's courage forward. She had allowed this chase to go on for so long in hopes that Elliot would eventually lose interest. After he'd proven to her that he wasn't going anywhere, her hardened heart had eventually softened. Valentine's Day, a day that Ana had always frowned upon, had suddenly made her chest flutter. All of her friends made plans for this Thursday. Her best friend and roommate Kate had dinner reservations with her boyfriend, Keenan. Of course, José and Maria were doing it big, as well as Tammy and her husband Marty.

This was the first year that Ana felt hopeful. _Maybe Elliot will call Wednesday and ask me out for Valentine's Day._ It was a longshot. After all, she'd refused his advances since November. Yet, hope sparked in her. He was still calling her. He was still sending her flowers. Everything was hedging on a silent promise of a Wednesday phone call.

Imagine Ana's shock when the call came on Tuesday.

"Mylegent, Ana speaking."

"Hey, Ana."

Her heart skips several beats upon hearing his voice. Both excitement and fear rush in.

"Elliot?" She winces at the sound of desperation emitting from her own voice.  
 _God… cool it, Steele._

"Were you expecting a call from someone else?" he teases.

"Well, yes," she giggles. "For one, I'm at work. Also, it's _Tuesday_."

"You've been paying attention," Elliot says smoothly.

She lets out a sweet chuckle. "Yes. I have."

"Good." His voice sounds pleased, which tickles Ana like a teenager with a high school crush. "So, am I going to have to keep bothering you at work, or are you finally going to let me take you out?"

Ana's glad that she had the foresight to close the door. She doesn't think she would be this brave had she still been sitting next to Tammy out in the call center.

"When?"

Elliot's eyes gape in response to the single word. _Oh my God. It's finally happening._ _I'm almost there._

"Thursday. Valentine's Day."

Ana's insides leap triumphantly. _Yes, Valentine's Day. Finally, I won't be sitting home alone like a loser._ "Sure."

Elliot is beyond relieved. _Damn, that simple, huh? I was expecting another kiss-off; another excuse why she couldn't see me. Thank God that didn't happen._

"Well, you make me feel glad that I went ahead and made plans for us, anyway. Valentine's Day is one of the busiest restaurant days. Well… that and Mother's Day," he says lightheartedly. "Thankfully the owners of the place owe me a favor and was able to squeeze us in."

"Was I that much of a foregone conclusion?" Ana teases.

"Oh, _hell no_ ," he exhales. Ana laughs. "You had me begging for nearly three months."

"Come on, it wasn't _that_ long," she chuckles.

"The first time I called you was November 1st…"

"You didn't call me. You called the agency…"

"…and I called back the following week to…"

"You were checking on the status of your case."

"…just to hear your voice again."

Ana's stunned silent. Elliot continues after that sinks in.

"I had to see you. I didn't know how to go about it. I couldn't even find you on the internet. Even your LinkedIn page was picture-less."

"I don't really do social media," she says softly. She's nervous, even over the phone.

"No kidding," he chuckled. "So, a week later, when the opportunity came to turn in that signed paperwork in person, I took it. I just had to meet the girl of my dreams in the flesh."

Ana's speechless once again. Here's this guy: Extremely good looking, wealthy, and from a well-respected family, who claims that _she_ is the girl of his dreams. _Hell, he's the guy of_ _ **my**_ _dreams. What in the world would he want with a Plain Jane like me?_

"So, to recap," Elliot continues in humor, "you just said _yes_ to going out with me on Thursday."

"Did I?" she teases.

"Absolutely, you did," he says silkily. His tone ignites something within her. "At this point, you're fully obligated to give me your personal phone number."

Ana's emotions go haywire. She's both excited over the prospect of Elliot _and_ extremely frightened. She's normally been a by-the-book person, never breaking any rules. _I'm actually going through with seeing a client outside of work._

It also doesn't help that she's been nursing a broken heart for the past three years. Sure, Ana and Doug were quite young and still in college, but Ana felt settled. She wasn't interested in playing the field. Doug, on the other hand, was pushed by his frat friends to sample the whole buffet. It was at that moment that Ana didn't trust any man to stay faithful.

But like José once told her, _"Its only lunch."_ And Thursday would only be dinner. Well… being that it's dinner during the most romantic day of the year, it's dinner all the same. Ana would just be getting to know Elliot and vice versa. No pressure to accelerate anything, she would simply sit back and have a good time with a seemingly nice guy.

Ana proceeds to call out her cell number, and it buzzes in her desk drawer in no time.

"That's my cell," Elliot tells her. "Go ahead and lock it in. You might as well save it to your favorites while you're at it," he quips. Ana sighs with a smile before reaching for her phone and saving him as a new contact. "You have any issues with me picking you up, or would you rather meet me there?"

"I – I think it would be best if I meet you there," Ana hesitates.

"Sure… I get it. I'm no ax murderer, but I get it. You can never be too careful these days."

"Right," she answers with a nervous chuckle.

Oddly, it's not Ana's exterior that she's worried about getting hacked to smithereens.

* * *

 ** _(Two days later)_**

Ana drove three miles north of work to the Queen Anne section of Seattle. On a good day in Seattle traffic, it's about a fifteen-minute drive. However, a nerve-racking drive on a good day made it feel like an eternity for Ana.

With her roommate Kate's help during a last-minute shopping trip yesterday, Ana went with a lacy red V-neck dress with three-quarter length sleeves. Kate said the modest selection would be perfect for Canlis, which Ana had never dined at before. However, Ana had disagreed initially with wearing the color red on Valentine's Day, and especially for a first date. She thought that it was a bit overkill and it appeared desperate.

Kate then scolded her for overthinking, but Ana couldn't help it. She'd been conditioned to always second-guess all of her choices. After getting her heart broken during junior year of college, she'd sworn off men permanently. Since then, every man who'd approach her was immediately scrutinized. _What does he want with me now, and who else will he want later?_

Ana knew she had a self-defeatist attitude. She also knew that it wasn't her fault that Doug was a young man who didn't want to settle for just her while in college. Still, Ana's emotions were quite fragile back then. And even though she's three years older now, the trauma from that time left a lasting impression on her. She never wanted to feel that crushed again.

Now, Ana was jumping back into the pool, albeit in the shallow end and one toe at a time. It had taken her nearly three months to accept Elliot Grey's persistent invitation to go out with him. A Valentine's Day date wasn't necessarily intentional on her part. However, Ana did consider the possibility of serendipity. Elliot Grey could either be the absolute love of her life or a means to an end – meaning that he could be her last test before meeting her true soulmate. Regardless, Ana was assured that she could now spot the signs of an emotional conman. If Elliot Grey was only after one thing, she'd know it right away. She made up in her mind before leaving her apartment that she wouldn't place any unrealistic expectations on tonight. In spite of that self-guarantee, she still remained a nervous wreck.

Ana pulls up her car to valet ten minutes early. She leaves her key and takes her ticket. The moment she enters the upscale restaurant, Elliot's already there waiting by the podium for her. He's dashing in a dark blue suit and white shirt with the first two buttons undone. With his jacket slung across his forearm, he lights up the moment he sees Ana. He approaches her, and they hug. When he hesitates to let her go, Ana's almost breathless. When he finally releases her, he examines her from head to toe.

"Damn girl, you're _so_ hot," he exhales, mesmerized. She's speechless. "I didn't expect you to get here early. In fact, I didn't expect you to even show up at all," he chuckles.

Ana giggles. "I told you I'd be here."

"Yeah, I know. And it only took you three months to agree to it."

Ana looks down guiltily at the floor.

"But you're here, and I appreciate it," he says with a gentle voice. Ana looks up at him and is taken by the elated grin on his face. It does a number on the cloud of doubt that Ana drove here with. He proceeds to help her out of her long black trench coat.

"Your table is ready, Mr. Grey," an attractive hostess announces. She turns to share her smile with Ana as well. Elliot then takes Ana by the hand, surprising her, and follows the hostess into the dining area.

…

"She'd only been to Seattle for about a week," Elliot continues.

Ana's taken aback by the first part of Elliot's answer to his own _'most awkward first date'_ question. _Does he make it a habit of asking girls out that he just met?_ She can't seem to help that her thoughts sometimes take her to dark places.

"She'd only had about an hour before her shift began at the restaurant, so we decide to go to this nearby coffee shop. Imagine this: A guy trying to connect to the Wi-Fi. No dice. So, he asks the passing barista to help him. He tries everything, but the barista can't connect from the guy's computer. All of a sudden, the guy just starts yelling at the barista at the top of his lungs that his Wi-Fi was trash. Complete asshole, right?"

Ana flinches. "It's not the barista's fault that the guy's computer couldn't connect the internet."

"Right?" Elliot echoes in agreement. "So, the guy proceeds to get louder and louder. At this point, the entire coffee shop is looking at the dude. He doesn't care. He continues to berate the barista, and nobody stops him. Even the other employees just let this guy go on a verbal rampage at their fellow coworker."

"Are you serious?" Ana gapes.

"At this point, the girl I'd brought there is now second-guessing her decision to move to Seattle. She thought the psycho was literally about to shoot up the place."

"I can't say I blame her."

"Eventually, the cops show up and ask the guy to leave. Granted, the moment they show up, the irate guy was as sweet as pie. He eventually leaves."

Ana's dumbfounded.

"Then, another barista comes by our table and personally apologizes for the outburst. The girl I was with asks why the guy was so bent out of shape. The barista says, _'He just wanted to be offered free food. This happens all the time here.'_ "

At that, Ana starts to laugh. She was well aware of the large homeless population in Seattle and the lengths they'd go to just to score a free meal.

"That was our first and last date. I never found out if she ever moved back to Michigan."

"It's probably a safe bet she did," Ana laughs.

"You stayed," he says, now humorless. His eyes are still warm on her as he takes a sip of wine.

"I did," she nods. "I knew what to expect."

"Montesano and Vancouver aren't quite Seattle."

"No, but it's still Washington. I also knew quite a few people from Seattle back in college."

"That helps."

"It does. Do you think you'll stay here?" she asks.

"That's the plan. My business is here. My family's here."

"Your parents and your brother."

Elliot nods. "I have roots planted here. If I wanted to leave, it would be difficult. Although, I've had a few jobs out of state."

"Oh yeah?" Ana says, her interest piqued. He nods. "Like where? Where was the last place?"

"My brother has a place in Aspen. I redesigned it for the third time. He likes switching it up."

Her eyes open wide. "Really? I thought your brother lived in Seattle?"

"He does," he clarifies. "He has places all over."

Ana couldn't fathom having more than one home. She knew people who did, but she never understood the concept of paying on more than one mortgage when you could only be one place at a time.

"Do _you_? Or would you consider having more than one home?"

"Hell no," he chuckles. "My brother wipes his ass with money. Grey Construction is doing very well, but I'd never make _that_ kind of money doing what I do."

Suddenly, Elliot Grey seemed a lot more down-to-earth to Ana. Attainable. He was just like her, working a simple job that he liked. He may be wealthy, but he wasn't filthy rich. He was a gentleman. He was relatable. Slowly, Ana began to let her guard down.

"What about you? Tell me your most embarrassing first date story," Elliot prompts.

Ana shrugs her shoulders. "Honestly, I don't have one."

"I don't believe you," he smirks. "When was the last time you went out?"

Her head drops in embarrassment.

"Come on," he urges. "Let's have it. Last week? Two weeks ago?"

"Three…"

"Weeks?"

"No," she says, now looking up with a crestfallen face. "Years."

Elliot gapes at her. "You're kidding."

Ana shakes her head. "Nope. Now you see why it took so long for me to accept your invitation." She offers him a defeated smirk.

"You're a damn knockout, Ana. Who in the hell did a number on you?" Elliot is flabbergasted.

"My ex from college."

"It figures," he puffs. "Well, he's a dumbass." Ana chuckles. "Seriously," he stresses.

"We were kids," she quantifies with a shoulder shrug.

"I don't care. He needs to get his head checked. If I were him, I'd be right here with you in Seattle. He doesn't know what he's missing."

Ana shrugs again. Mentally, she feels distant from her past. Emotionally, the pain from the breakup remains constant. She doesn't know how to throw her ever-present emotions into the same bucket as her memories of Doug. She couldn't separate the man from the hurt. She forgave him but was still gun shy when it came to love.

Elliot reaches across the table around their drinks and appetizers and takes Ana by the hand. She's dumbstruck.

"What's his name?"

Ana gapes at him.

"What's his name?" he repeats.

"Doug."

"Fuck Doug," Elliot spits out, startling her. "I'd be damned if some lame ass from back in college messes up my opportunity with a beautiful, wonderful girl."

Ana's head tilts sideways. A blush threatens to overtake her face, but she manages to keep it at bay. "But you don't know me. I could be the reason why he left."

"I sincerely doubt that," he croons. "I'm looking you right in your gorgeous blue eyes. I don't see an ounce of malice there."

The air catches midway in her throat. Still nervous, she bravely searches deep in his equally breathtaking blue eyes in search of something; a sign. _Is he trustworthy? Can I really trust Elliot Grey?_ Nothing immediately jumped out at her. No glimmer. No harp. No hallelujah chorus. But as he squeezes her hand, she knows that she owed it to both of them to release her past and simply take things day by day.

* * *

 ** _(Two months and one week later)_**

After the first date, Ana and Elliot are inseparable. Elliot may be a number of years older than her, but he doesn't show it. To Ana, he epitomizes the fountain of youth. There's rarely a time when she's not clutching her stomach doubling over regarding something hilarious that Elliot said.

 _"_ _He makes me laugh,"_ Ana said when her good friend José asked her to describe him once. _"He's so thoughtful,"_ she told her good friend Tammy at work just a couple weeks ago. _And sex with Elliot is pretty awesome, too._ Ana would keep those very intimate thoughts to herself, to Tammy's dismay. The over-zealous work friend would never be told that even though Ana did kiss Elliot after their first date on Valentine's Day, the two didn't jump in bed together until date six. Since then, Elliot staying over Ana's place on the weekends had become a regular thing.

Kate, the only other person fully aware of what's been going on in her best friend's new love life, is beyond thrilled. She's glad that her virtually reclusive roommate finally has a life of her own on weekends. Kate herself enjoys spending a lot of time at her boyfriend Keenan's place, which in kind gave Ana and Elliot the privacy they craved at the apartment. Like Ana, Kate's also very hard at work during the week, but as a PR agent at a marketing firm.

Although Ana and Kate aren't spending much time together these days, the two make a point to uphold their _Thirsty Thursday_ tradition. Some Thursdays, José and Maria would tag along. Tammy makes it out on nights her husband works late. Otherwise, it's any combination of Ana's other work friends – Noah, Doren, and Isa – in attendance.

Just this past Thursday at the bar, Isa filled in Ana, Kate, Tammy, and Doren on very some personal drama that she'd kept to herself for a long time. Like Tammy, Isa is married. Isa has been with her husband Rick since college, and they married two years after graduating. The pair actually had to elope since Isa's family doesn't accept Rick. See, Isa's parents were born in Jordan, while Rick is African American. And although Rick is a very successful mechanical engineer at Boeing and has loved and taken wonderful care of his wife, it hasn't changed matters between Isa and her folks.

That particular conversation from nearly three days ago remained with Ana. So, while putting the finishing touches on Sunday brunch for her and Elliot, she can't help but feel upset for her friend. Granted, Ana's been slightly distant from her own family, but she still knows how important it is to have their unconditional love and support no matter how often they are in contact.

Ana's mother Carla Adams, and her fourth husband, Bob, have been living in New Zealand for the past two years. Bob is there on a two to three-year assignment as a contracting industrial engineer working logistics for a large corporation. Ana speaks to her mother at least once a month, but the two manage to email one another quite frequently. Three weeks ago, Ana decided to come clean to her mother in an email about the new guy she's been seeing. The news immediately prompted Carla to call her daughter. Luckily, Carla's twenty-one hours ahead, so early evening for her was late afternoon for Ana.

 _"_ _Goodness, why didn't you tell me sooner!  
Is he good to you?  
What does he do?  
Have you taken a picture together?  
Send it to me!  
Gosh, I can't wait to come back home  
so I can meet him!"_

 _"_ _Settle down, mom."_

Ana's father didn't wig out as much as mom at the news. Ana talks to Raymond Steele, the man who she considers her father, at least twice a month. Years retired from the army, he works a magnitude of odd jobs. Ray was the man Ana's mother married when Ana was still a baby. Ana's birth father died in a freak accident shortly after she was born, so Ray's the only father that she's ever known. The two were extremely tight until Ana moved from Montesano to begin college life in Vancouver. Then Doug came along, and things would never be the same between Ana and her father.

Still, Ana loved both her parents. She couldn't fathom them not supporting her relationship with Elliot. Ana's heart broke for her friend, Isa.

"I don't understand how her parents could just write her off," Ana utters as she masterfully flips two omelets from two small frying pans into their individual plates on the counter. Elliot watches her from the table in awe while shirtless and barefoot in just his pajama bottoms. It's just after noon, and it took the two new lovers some time to finally pull away from Ana's bed.

"It's a cultural thing," Elliot says just before taking a sip of coffee.

"That's what Isa said."

He shrugs. " _Well_? I have many guys that work for me who only date girls within their culture because of how they were brought up. They toe the line, or else they could be disowned by their entire family."

"It's just not right. Isa is still their daughter. Her mother still calls her, but Isa can't ever bring Rick to family dinners. It sucks."

"I know," he sighs, as another completely separate thought enters his mind. He tables it for the time being. _Ana's obviously worked up over her friend right now. My news can wait._

"Her parents brought her into this world, and then they abandon her when she needs them most." Ana's now standing still and stewing in anger at the very thought.

"Yeah, you're right… It sucks. It makes you wish people like that would just put their kids up for adoption if they're not willing to love them unconditionally. I'm sure my birthparents were assholes, too. But luckily I'll never get to find out."

Ana's anger subsides. She adores how much Elliot dotes on his parents, Dr. Grace Trevelyan Grey and Carrick Grey. Elliot's mother is a well-respected longtime pediatrician at Northwest Hospital, while his father is a successful trial attorney. The Greys had so much love in their hearts and they were anxious to share it. When they were unable to bring forth children on their own, they reached out to children who were born to unfit parents. Grace and Carrick ended up choosing children who desperately needed their overflowing love.

Ana places hers and Elliot's prepared plates each on placemats. Positioned at the center of the small dinette table for two is a large bowl of mixed fruit that Ana had chopped up and sealed the day before. Ana reaches for the tongs and serves the bacon she prepared just before the omelets, while Elliot stands and scoops the two of them helpings of mixed fruit into two tiny porcelain bowls.

"Were you ever curious to find out about your birth parents?" As soon as the words escape Ana's mouth, she immediately regrets them.

Elliot flinches at the question, but then he immediately straightens up and appears to be resolved. "I think realizing you're an asshole and choosing not to bring up other assholes is a very brave decision."

An involuntary giggle shoots out of Ana before she quickly reels it back in.

"I'm serious," he says. "As far as I'm concerned, Carrick and Grace Grey are my parents. I'm sure my brother feels the same."

Ana takes a seat in front of her plate and picks up her fork. "Has Christian ever met his birth parents?"

Elliot shakes his head after savoring a bite of ham and veggie omelet. "Carrick said his mother died sometime before Christian was adopted. She was a drug addict and a prostitute."

Ana immediately reads in between the lines. "Holy shit," she gasps.

"Yeah," he sighs before taking another big bite. He closes his eyes and hums in ecstasy. "This omelet is fucking fantastic, babe." He's not used to girlfriends cooking for him… _well_ , that is.

However, Ana's mind is more fixated on the revelation about Elliot's adoptive brother than the praise over her abilities in the kitchen. After all, it's not the first time he's complimented her cooking.

"I think it's safe to say that Christian is nothing like his birth parents," Ana muses, her spirit lifted at the notion. "He's very successful in life, and so are you. You and Christian have a lot to be grateful for." Another thought slides into Ana's mind. "Are you heading over to your folks' tomorrow for dinner?"

Usually, on Sundays, Elliot leaves Ana's place around four o'clock and drives directly to his parents' home in Bellevue for their weekly family dinner. Elliot's afternoon departure allowed Ana enough time to tidy up the apartment before Kate's return. It also gave Ana time alone to get mentally prepared for the work week ahead.

"Funny you mention that," Elliot smirks as he polishes off his last piece of bacon. "I hate to spring this on you last minute, but my mom's been bugging me to bring you with me. I told her I'd ask if you'd want to join tomorrow."

Ana's eyes gape wide. "And exactly when were you planning on telling me this?"

"I'm telling you now," he chuckles.

She's both excited and mortified at the prospect of finally meeting her boyfriend's parents. Sure, it was inevitable, but it didn't frighten her any less. "Will everyone be there?"

"I highly doubt Christian shows up. He's been MIA lately."

Elliot had mentioned to Ana that Christian's a severe workaholic. Their mother Grace has been known to pop up over at Christian's apartment, which coincidentally isn't too far from Ana's, in order to urge him to show up at family dinner. Most of the time, their mother's attempts end up fruitless.

"It would take an act of God to peel that asshole away from his work," Elliot sighs.

Ana's aware of the times that Elliot and his brother spent the day together in the mountains. The two brothers would hike places like Granite Mountain Trailhead, or ride bikes at Duthie Hill. These outings haven't occurred since Ana and Elliot have been dating, but Ana assumes that will change as the weather gets warmer.

"He's not seeing anyone?" Ana asks, curious.

Elliot sputters in laughter. "Fuck no. Dude's married to GEH." _Grey Enterprises Holding._ "I don't think my brother has ever gotten a piece of ass in his life. Maybe that's why he's always so uptight," he shrugs nonchalantly.

 _Surely, it's not all work and no play for Christian Grey_ , Ana thinks to herself. She's seen the online photographs of him. Like Elliot, he's drop-dead gorgeous. And Ana's been made fully aware by her friends that Elliot's younger brother is indeed Seattle's most eligible bachelor. Christian is one of the richest people in the world under forty. Ana wonders when she will meet him. But first, she'll be meeting his parents.

"I don't know if I have anything to wear tomorrow," Ana murmurs.

Elliot dismisses her statement, puffing air out from between his lips. He then stands to carry his clean plate over to the dishwasher, but not before kissing the chef on her forehead. "Wear whatever you want. I always go in jeans and a t-shirt. It's just my folks." He looks to take Ana's plate but sees that she's barely touched her food. He only takes his.

"But they never met me. I really want to make a good first impression," Ana says as his back is turned.

"And you will," he calls out. "Don't worry about that."

"I need to walk," Ana says as she suddenly springs up out of her chair. Elliot turns on his heel and faces her after shutting the dishwasher.

"Walk? Where?" he frowns.

"When I need to think, I walk all the way to Piers 62 and 63. It's one of my favorite spots." She doesn't know why, but fear is starting to settle in at the thought of meeting Elliot's parents. She wants everything to be perfect tomorrow, and she can't calm her anxiety while Elliot is present.

"What is there to think about? Besides, it's cold as hell by the pier." Now standing next to Ana, Elliot wraps a single arm around her before pulling her into his side. "Sweetheart, they're going to love you. I promise." He plants another tender kiss on Ana's forehead, but it's not enough to settle the flurry of nerves surging throughout her body.

"And if they disown me because I chose to be with you, then they're shitty people to begin with. But you have absolutely nothing to worry about. You are going to love Grace and Carrick, and Grace and Carrick are going to love you. No question."

Ana slowly lifts her head and their blue eyes finally join together. The sincerity pouring out of his gaze immediately pulls her out of her funk. Elliot immediately picks up on her mood change and he smiles down at her before lowering his mouth to peck her lips.

"Now brush that bacon breath so I can stick my tongue in there," he rasps.

Ana smirks while thrusting her palm hard against his solid bicep, and he laughs.

…

The following evening, Ana is stunned as Elliot pulls his pickup into the circular driveway. The Greys' Bellevue estate is nothing short of spectacular. The brick house – no – _mansion_ is breathtaking. And even though it's early spring, their landscaping is immaculate.

A stunning older woman with dark hair pulled back into a bun, wearing dark slacks and a coral sweater, meets a handholding Elliot and Ana at the front door. Elliot releases Ana briefly, embraces the woman, and plants a sweet kiss on her cheek. Ana watches as the woman closes her eyes and lovingly soaks it in.

"Mom," Elliot greets. He reclaims Ana's hand and pulls her in closer. "This is Ana. Ana, this is my mom, Dr. Grace Trevelyan Grey." The two ladies gaze admirably at the other.

"Nice to meet you, Dr. Grey," Ana says so nervously that it comes out as a jagged exhale.

As Ana extends her hand, Dr. Grey pulls her in for a warm embrace instead. Ana is taken aback.

"Ana, you'd better call me Grace. That's an order." The matriarch pulls away while firmly holding onto Ana's forearms, examining her son's new girlfriend from head to toe. "My word, you are simply gorgeous. Elliot has already told us so much about you, but I don't feel that he's done you justice."

Ana immediately blushes, making her grateful for her decision to wear the elbow-length, heather gray sleeved sweater dress and black booties.

"I sure do know how to pick 'em, _am-I-right_ , Ma?" quips Elliot.

Ana rolls her eyes at him while Grace takes Ana by the hand and leads her directly into the house.

"Come out of this cold," Grace says insistently. "I already have appetizers out, and I don't want Carrick eating them all before you had a chance to have any."

…

"Last I checked, the Mariners weren't doing so hot in the seventh inning," Carrick calls to Elliot across the dining room table that seats six. The Greys happen to have a massive dining inn, but since it's just the four of them, they dine at the smaller table located in the sunroom near the kitchen.

"You'd better not be checking the score at the table," Grace lovingly scolds her husband by her side. He answers her with a guilty grin.

"This would be their third straight loss to the Rangers," Elliot says, running his hand through his curly blond hair.

"They're already struggling, and the season's early," sighs Carrick.

Ana is enjoying witnessing her boyfriend interacting with his parents. She smiles the entire time watching Elliot being _right at home_. Earlier, she took in family portraits all around the Greys' beautiful home and tried to imagine what life was like for the young Grey children here. In many of the photos, she saw a dark-haired girl. _Elliot has a sister? He's never mentioned her._ In the end, she figured that it was probably a cousin or another close relative. Or – _Maybe the Greys fostered her for a time._

Ana had an opportunity to see Elliot's old bedroom upstairs. When she asked where Christian's room was, Elliot simply pointed to a closed door across the hall, and then promptly ushered her downstairs. There were many other rooms on that floor that Ana was curious to see, but she did not get the full tour. Yet, that wasn't the oddest thing that happened tonight.

Since the moment they arrived, Ana immediately picked up on the cold vibes coming from the very attractive blond European housekeeper. Even when the blonde came by and cleared away the dinner dishes moments ago, she looked everyone in the eye, except for Ana and Elliot. _Strange_ , Ana thought to herself.

"Ana, you wanna help me grab dessert in the kitchen?" Grace quietly asks, but apparently not quietly enough.

"Mom, can't Gretchen bring it?" Elliot orders. He takes Ana's hand next to him and she smirks at him.

"She just took away the dishes," Grace reminds him. "I'd like Ana to help me with dessert while you two sit and talk sports."

"Hey, Ana likes the M's," Carrick warmly smiles at their welcomed new guest. "Don't you?"

Ana chuckles. "My father made certain I was raised on a diet of fruits, vegetables, seafood, and Mariners."

"Your father sounds like a good man," winks Carrick.

"Oh, and the Sounders, too," Elliot proudly adds. "Ray Steele is a huge soccer fan. World Cup and all that."

"Wow, that's hardcore," Carrick compliments.

Before Ana can respond, Grace gently tugs her shoulder. She stands with a smile, releasing her boyfriend's hand. "I'll be back," she promises him.

"Mom is the fun police," Elliot teases with a pout.

"Not true at all," Grace says in her defense. "Ana and I'll be _right_ back." Dr. Grey takes Ana by the hand and pushes them past the swinging kitchen door.

Ana sees Gretchen in the corner of the large kitchen working expeditiously, cleaning dishes. The blonde suddenly turns and is surprised to see the two ladies join her. "Ma'am," the housekeeper says with a strong European accent to the lady of the house, "I can bring the dessert now if you'd like."

"No worries, Gretchen. Why don't you take a ten-minute break?" Grace suggests kindly. Gretchen bows subserviently and exits immediately. Ana watches as the housekeeper disappears behind the swinging door.

"So," Grace beams, now looking directly at Ana. "Do you think you could get used to this every Sunday?"

Ana gapes at her. "Yeah… I mean, _sure_. Dinner was very delicious. Thank you."

Grace is pleased with her answer. "You're very welcome. I'd love to see you here every Sunday with Elliot. Between you and me, he's changed a great deal for the better ever since you decided to go out on that date with him." She flashes a telling grin.

Ana's brows nearly join her hairline. "He told you about that?"

Mrs. Grey nods slowly and satisfactorily. "Mm-hmm. When he came here one Sunday last December looking like a lovesick puppy, I badgered him until he told me what was going on. He said he met this wonderful insurance agent that he'd been infatuated with since November."

Ana's gaze falls to the linoleum as her cheeks begin heating up.

"Elliot is a sharer, especially when encouraged. My other son, not so much," Grace says. Ana looks up at Grace and catches the tail end of the stunning older woman's forlorn expression, which goes away as quickly as it came.

"It's so easy to talk to Elliot," Ana confirms. "Is it different with Christian?" Ana had never met the Greys' youngest son. The only information Ana had to go by was whatever Elliot told her. _"Christian is a workaholic and a recluse,"_ he said once _._ Ana often found that last part hard to believe since Christian was always on the news. _Introvert? Possibly. Recluse? No. I can't picture that._ His killer good looks certainly didn't lend to him being a virtual hermit.

"The boys have always been the way they are in one form or another… ever since Carrick and I first brought them home," Grace muses. She stares off to the side as if she's retrieving the very thought from over there. Then she suddenly turns back to Ana. "Elliot has always been a talker. Christian…" Grace trails off, but then she blinks as if to revise what she was willing to reveal. "Let's just say that it took him some time speak to us."

Ana's expression falls. "Elliot recently told me that Christian didn't talk for two years."

Grace looks down as if Ana just pinched a nerve. "So, he told you. Yes, it was a very trying time for all of us. But I told myself that I would never give up on that boy. I vowed to love him back to life. I can't even begin to imagine the things that child has seen before he came to us," she says with a trembling voice.

Ana's heart is pinched. "Elliot also told me about Christian's early life."

"It was awful, Ana. Just awful. He was in such bad shape when I found him." Grace's kind eyes are now glossy with tears. Not knowing what else to do, Ana takes her by the hand.

"But you and Mr. Grey took him out of that. Look at him now. I know you both are extremely proud of him."

Grace sighs. "Absolutely. We are so proud of _both_ our sons. But sometimes, I feel that my youngest still shuts me out. For example, he's not here today."

Immediately, Ana thinks about all the times that she didn't call her own mother regularly when she still lived in Georgia. Now Carla was seven thousand miles away.

"I'm sure he's just busy," Ana says. "He'd be here if he could."

"That's exactly what Carrick says," Grace utters, disheartened. It's obvious to Ana that even the wise words of Grace's own husband can't soothe this heartbroken mother's soul. "I just want my children to be happy. That look on Elliot's face when he brought you here to meet us, I want to see that same look on Christian."

Ana nods empathetically. "I'm sure it'll happen."

"Hey, what's taking that dessert so long?" Elliot's sudden intrusion into the kitchen startles both ladies.

"We're just having girl talk," Grace immediately perks up.

"Yeah… hold on to your horses, Grey," Ana teases. Elliot wraps his arms around her waist and kisses her cheek.

"I will not. A guy needs Dutch apple pie and vanilla bean ice cream in his life. Pronto."

Still in his arms, but now leaning away, Ana feigns a pout. "I thought I was enough." She turns slightly and catches Elliot's mother's doting gaze before looking back at him.

"Pfft," he puffs out. "You're right. I don't need no dessert. I have you. You're much sweeter." As Elliot stares down at Ana, his gaze turns heated. Ana, on the other hand, turns shy. _Elliot, not in front of your mother_ , she says to him with just her eyes.

"Hello! I'm still here," Grace quips after she clears her throat. The two lovers finally disengage and assist Grace with doling out dessert.

* * *

 ** _(THE PRESENT)_**

With a pop, Christian pulls his mouth away from Ana's, finally giving her a breather. They are both panting fiercely, ignited with unquenchable passion. With his hands still wrapped around her and holding her body close to his, she tries to compose herself… somewhat. Turning away, she finally has the chance to survey the massive space since he carried her here.

He watches her in wonder as she takes in her brand-new surroundings. _Learn it well. You'll be here often if I can help it._ The very thought causes his groin to pulsate.

"This is your bedroom?" she breathes. Slowly losing track of the moment when passion and heat literally carried her in here, Ana steps out of his grasp and slowly paces the room. She studies the artwork hanging on the walls. Her eyes later spot the chaise off to the side, next to the massive floor to ceiling windows facing the moonlit Seattle skyline. Then her sights land on the bed positioned over at the opposite end. _That is not a king-sized bed,_ she reflects. _That's a god-sized bed. All of this for one person? Hell, my dad's entire house can fit in this room._

Ana turns on her heel and faces Christian, who surprisingly stuck by her side as she walked. The looking of longing in his gray eyes makes her stomach do summersaults.

"What's on your mind?" he croons, caressing her cheek with one hand. "I hope we're still thinking the same thing." He plants a sweet kiss on her lips before his arms snake back around her narrow waist. Suddenly, those familiar insecure emotions return to Ana with a vengeance.

"You've done this before, obviously," she murmurs.

His gaze narrows. "What do you mean? If you're asking if I've had women in here, the answer would be _no_. You're the first." He gives her mouth another sweet peck.

This revelation shocks Ana. "You've never had a woman in here?"

He shakes his head. "Not in my bedroom. I'm breaking a lot of my rules tonight. Although, I've been breaking rules the moment I first laid eyes on you."

She has questions, so many questions, but she can't think straight due to the way he's looking at her. He regards her as if she's the lost treasure of the Serengeti. No man has ever revered her in that way. Soon, she falls captive to his magic, and their mouths collide once again.

Ana doesn't know when or how it even happened, but she soon finds herself on her back in Christian's bed. With eyes that could melt anything in their path, he gazes at her as he crawls in between her legs. Ana gasps. She is more turned on than she's ever been in her life. Her lacy panties have been soaked since dinner. Now, she wonders if they've already disintegrated by now.

 _How can one man do this?_

"What's on your mind?" Christian croons once again. His mouth reaches her neck while his hands caress her all over through the lacy fabric of her dress. She groans. But when his hands journey in between her moist thighs, she stops breathing. "Talk to me," he prompts her once more.

After some major self-coercing, she pushes out the words. "You… you're not a virgin."

Christian's hand stills and he looks down at her with a smile itching at the corner of his mouth.

"More lies from my _loving_ brother, huh?" he grumbles. His face closes in on hers, and her breath suddenly hitches. "How about I let you render that verdict after I make you come three times in a row?"

All the air leaves Ana's body. _Three times?! Elliot stopped making me do that even_ _ **once**_ _after the first few weeks. Holy shit!_

Christian proceeds to kiss her and tease her all over while her clothes are still on. _Hell, if it feels like this now, just wait until I'm naked_ , Ana thinks to herself. After what feels like an eternity of sensual torture, he eventually hikes up her skirt past her waist. Ana willingly stretches out her arms straight up and Christian carefully peels off her dress, leaving her in matching lacy black bra and panties.

" _Fuuucck_ , Ana," he says, looking down at her like a succulent meal. "You are _so_ beautiful." His mouth immediately swoops down and attacks the mounds pouring out of her cups. She groans at his explosive caresses.

Christian pushes down on one breast and frees it from the bra. His hungry suction against her nipple sends sharp surges straight to her clit. Soon, he begins to press his clothed erection against her thigh. _Whoa,_ Ana gapes within. The magnitude of his rock-solid arousal is definitely not lost on her.

"I told you…" he growls against her breast. His hooded eyes rise up to meet hers. Slowly, so that there's no mistaking, he says, "I am going to fuck you like you've never been fucked before. Are you ready for that?"

"Oh my God," she gasps. In turn, her eager pelvis begins to rock up against his leg.

"You're wet," he exhales in between sucking her mounds. "I can feel you right through my pants, baby." Ana breathes even harder, and he reaches behind her back to unfasten her bra. She arches toward him to help make his task easier. "But you're going to be gushing like a geyser before I even stick my cock in you," he vows with smoldering gray irises.

Ana practically falls apart. "Oh my God… _why_?" she helplessly whines. "Why do you say such… _hot_ things?"

He lets out a quick chuckle. "Because it's true. I'm going to fuck you through the weekend, Anastasia." His expression turns back serious once he reveals his dark plan. "You're not leaving here for the next forty-eight hours. That, I promise you."

Ana's mouth is agape, and Christian immediately swoops in with his tongue. He kisses her unlike anyone he's ever kissed before, and she reciprocates with equal abandon.

It wouldn't be long before the two of them discovered how a true addict feels.

* * *

 ** _A/N: Hello everyone! Thanks for your patience. I've been traveling throughout the month of November, but thankfully I'm grounded until January._**

 ** _Just a heads up – we will be flipping back and forth in time for quite a few chapters. Right now, I predict this will happen until chapter 15 or sooner (FYI –I don't know how long this story will be quite yet). I feel it's important to know the history of Ana and Elliot AND Ana and Grace in order to appreciate where Ana and Christian are headed. I'm doing it this way because it keeps things interesting, especially for those readers who are anxious to see how Ana and Christian progress from the start. Otherwise, we'll have to wait ten to fifteen chapters instead of just two or three for a C &A lemon, and I've tortured my faithful readers long enough in past stories (see: B&P & APD), haha! _**

**_If you have issues with spelling and grammar, please forgive me – I am still learning. I welcome all corrections, just not in the review section. For one, I think pointing out grammar and word usage errors there for all to see is rude. We don't yell in public that a girl's dress is tucked in her underwear, right? No, we simply walk up to her and whisper the faux pas in her ear, and no one's the wiser. ;) Secondly, I'm in search of editors for 2019, so PM/email is a great way for me to keep in touch with those expert individuals for future projects. Feel free PM me here or on Facebook (storietella2). You can also Gmail me at storietella. Oh… I started a Pinterest board for this story (AMT) under storietella and another-mans-treasure (just add those phrases at the end of the URL with slashes in between)._**

 ** _Thanks everyone for reading. Let me know what you think of chapter 2! – ST2_**

 ** _PS: Hot lemon underway in chapter 3! Both C &A get their worlds rocked. :D_**


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3** **–** **No Hats Allowed**

 ** _(THE PRESENT)_**

Hovering over her, Christian deftly unfastens his shirt before remembering to remove his pricey cufflinks. Ana gapes in awe at each sculpted channel on his taut torso as he handles his business. Just as she'd imagined, his body is a total work of art. Trying to maintain some semblance of self-control, she stifles a tremble. Yet the moment his hands reach down his fly to unfasten it, her breathing visibly and audibly quickens.

Christian is amused. "Excited?" he rasps with a smoking hot grin. "I know _I_ am."

Paralyzed, Ana now stares at the deep grooves that form a mouth-watering _V_ -shape starting inches above his waist. She figures that very path leads directly to ecstasy, but she doesn't know to what degree. It wouldn't be long before she'd find out. Meanwhile, this man is hell-bent on plunging into her and rocking her world straight away. Regardless, he dials back his haste with steel will and prolongs the inevitable.

"I'm not going to fuck you just yet," Christian tells her. A wave of disappointment comes over her. "I only need to get out of these pants before they rip apart. I blame _you_ for that," he rasps. "You make me _so hard_ , Anastasia. You know that?"

The silky sound of her full first name parting his lips is sex personified. Ana's deep blue eyes gape wide at his words, but then grow even wider the moment he exposes his black boxer briefs being stretched to the hilt. _Holy shit, he's_ _ **huge**_ _!_ She silently prays that what she's seeing is actually a smuggled eggplant – _or something! I've never seen one that big!_ Tickled, Christian looks down at her before shifting away from the bed. But his eyes never leave her as he blindly yanks his pants from his ankles and tosses them to the floor.

When he returns, he begins kissing her navel. She writhes underneath him. "So sweet," he hums before continuing his assault on her overly sensitized skin. As his mouth slides upward, one hand claims her breast while the other goes down lower to tease her folds through the lace. When Ana's heavy breathing shifts into shallow panting, he pushes the fragile fabric aside and glides his fingers across her bare slick skin. Literally dripping with excess need, she gasps.

"Oh _baby_. _So_ … so wet," he groans, now kissing her neck. He slides in one long, thick finger and she moans into his ear. " _Mmm_ ," he hums in return. "I love how you feel. Did I make you this way?" _Hell yes,_ she thinks to herself, unable to speak out loud. The smoky gravelly tone of his voice is like thick honey oozing inside her ears, and it sparks a raging fire in her loins.

Ana's thoughts have teleported her elsewhere as he starts to create a rhythm with that finger while reclaiming her mouth. One finger soon transitions into two. And as those two fingers dance inside of her, he skillfully traces circles with his thumb on her clitoris, driving her insane. As Christian aches for her, his hips move in time to the rhythm he has set. Her moans become louder. Not long afterward, he begins to feel her walls collapse all around his fingers.

"Yeah," he triumphantly groans. "That's it. Let go." Christian coaxes Ana like a masterful sexual male midwife, having her bring forth a body-rocking orgasm, all the while dusting sweet kisses all over her neck. Ana begins seeing stars as she explodes all around him, crying out.

"Good girl," he murmurs, slowing his pace as she continues to burst forth. He feels elated… _victorious_ at making the girl of his dreams lose control like that. Still, he doesn't fully expose his glee as a giddy teenager would. And Ana is still floating in the stratosphere by the time his hands glide down her body, taking her underwear along with them, her eyes round like saucers. Soon, his skilled mouth is clinging to where his fingers just left.

"Oh my God!" she cries out. Ana can't recall when she'd been so vocal in bed, if ever. _Christian Grey is certainly out of this world. Where has he been all my life?_ He begins eating her as he has never eaten anything else before, driving Ana utterly senseless. As she caterwauls, he groans as if she's the tastiest dish he's ever consumed. And it's true; he's never had anything sweeter than Ana.

" _Mm_ … you taste divine," he mumbles before his tongue sensually assaults her most tender spot within reach. Once again, Ana's teetering right at the edge. Internally, she curses her traitorous body, scolding it to come back down. She is almost successful. Then, he pushes a finger back inside her.

 _"_ _Ah!"_

" _Yes_ darling. I want your sweetness all over my face. Come **_now_** ," he pleads before resuming his erotic ministrations.

Christian's gifted and naughty mouth pushes Ana back into the ravine and she crashes even harder than before, screaming out his name. The sound of his name on her lips provokes him to swiftly push down his boxer briefs before she can even reopen her eyes.

Now skin against skin, Christian glides up against Ana as she continues to fall apart. He's made her entire body sing twice, and he hasn't even pushed his dick inside of her yet. He knows that the moment he goes in, he's a goner. _I'll erupt like a fucking volcano. Hell, even the thought of her wets my tip. Settle down, Grey. You don't want a good thing to end before it even begins._ So, in order to prolong the night, he continues to delay the inevitable by ruthlessly pleasing her with his hands and his mouth.

 _Sweet lord, what is he doing?!_ – Ana thinks to herself the moment his fingers return to her sex. This time around, she feels his bare satin-encased steel pressing firmly against her thigh. Now she knows for a fact that what she saw protruding from those boxer briefs was _not_ a stuffed sock or smuggled produce. _Holy moly_.

Eventually, right before Ana loses control for a third time, Christian moves upward and his mouth engulfs hers. Ana tastes herself all over his tongue. Oddly, she'd never thought that she could taste this good. Christian swallows her cries as his skilled hands, one on her sex and the other on her breast, work out every bit of anxiety that she'd carried inside for so long. Their kissing quickly heats up as his fingers down below match in intensity.

As Ana's hands begin tracing the hard lines of muscle on his back, he groans out in agony. Her touch aches something deep inside of him, but he doesn't want her to stop. And she doesn't. Soon, he's practically grinding a hole into her hip with phantom thrusts. He's panting in severe want, and so is she. And once again, she's at the precipice. The very moment his thumb circles her clit, Ana explodes with a vengeance.

 _That's three,_ Christian exhales to himself.

Ana's mind is blown. She never knew that she could be _this_ receptive. _This_ sensitive. Yes, Christian had made her entire body scream three times in a row, and he has yet to penetrate her. Now she's lying in Christian's massive bed virtually lifeless and limp. But deep down inside her belly, she's desperate for him to slide into home plate. The adamant lust pulsating inside of her quickly tosses fatigue aside.

When Christian rises off of her and leans over to the side, Ana can hear a sliding drawer. But when he returns, he immediately drops down to his knees, pulls up her hips, and presses his mouth against her sex all over again. Ana nearly sees stars.

"Holy shit," she gasps. This time, out loud.

* * *

 ** _(THE PAST – 26 months ago)_**

Ana shrieks in laughter as she's tossed on her own bed. Before she can stop and breathe air, Elliot yanks down her jeans.

"What are you doing?" Ana giggles. Soon, her pants and underwear are gone and she's moaning. And then suddenly out of nowhere…

" _A… B… C… D…_ "

Ana's once shut eyes spring open and she props herself up on her elbows, looking down in between her thighs.

" _…_ _H… I… J… K..._ "

"Wait a minute. Are you singing the alphabet song?" she says. "While your mouth is on my vagina?"

Elliot stops and looks up with glistening lips. "You just ruined the best part. Everyone loves _LMNOP_."

Amused, Ana smirks down at him. " _Fine_. Continue."

"Thank you," he grins before returning to the task. "L... M… N…"

Taken by surprise at his languorous pace, Ana falls back into the pillow and cracks up laughing.

...

 ** _(The next morning)_**

"Thank God you cooked."

The sound of another voice in the kitchen takes Ana and Elliot by surprise. Kate pads in with ratty tee and gray sweatpants and immediately swoops in on the strips of bacon in the Pyrex dish lined with paper towel.

"Sup," Kate says with a cool head nod. "Ana. Elliot."

"Hey," Elliot frowns, perplexed.

"What are you doing here?" Ana says, briefly turning away from the potatoes frying on the stove.

"Um… I _live_ here?" Kate chomps through a mouthful of bacon.

"I thought you were at Keenan's?"

"I was, but now I'm back. Then I'm gone again later tonight. Didn't mean to crash your party."

"No, it's all good," Ana says. "I guess I'll fry up more bacon and plan for more eggs."

"And potatoes, too," Kate adds. "I _love_ your potatoes."

Ana and Elliot laugh.

"You're lucky you get to live with her. She's an _amazing_ cook," Elliot praises, following Kate's suit by stealing a piece of bacon.

"Aww, thanks hon," Ana teases before turning back to stir the potatoes. Elliot wraps his arms around her waist from behind and kisses her on the cheek. Ana closes her eyes and takes him in. She then turns to the side and playfully pokes out her lips, and Elliot pecks them. The kiss suddenly deepens.

"Well, while you guys are busy making out, why don't I make mimosas?" offers Kate.

"Great idea," Ana calls out.

"Mimosas?" Elliot groans. "It's _Saturday_ , not Sunday _brunch_."

"How dare you pigeonhole such a refreshing beverage to just Sundays?" Kate teases as she retrieves the corkscrew.

"How very closeminded of you, Elliot," Ana goads. "Next, you're going to tell us that it's a _girl's drink_."

Elliot holds out a finger. "No, I wasn't going to say that. But I will say that any _real man_ will wait until Sunday to drink mimosas and wouldn't be caught dead with one otherwise."

"Oh my God!" Kate playfully cries out.

"But I, on the other hand, am very confident in my own masculinity and will partake in your sacrilege," quips Elliot.

"Your open-mindedness is much appreciated, Elliot," Ana jests.

"Thank you, babe," Elliot smiles.

…

Later in the day, Kate leaves the apartment, while Ana and Elliot remain shut-in. Things are getting really hot and heavy once more as the two make out fully dressed in Ana's bed. They are also interrupted by _Ana's phone_ buzzing on the dresser. As she reaches for it, Elliot pulls her arm back.

"Ignore it," he muffles against the skin of her neck. Ana follows his advice. Then it goes off again. Ana's beyond distracted.

" _Ignore_ it," Elliot says once again. His hands tease the band of Ana's leggings, yet her mind is still on her dresser.

"I've gotta get it. They called twice. It could be important." As Ana tugs away, Elliot sighs. "Shit. It's my mom."

Elliot nods in understanding before sliding over towards the edge of the bed. "I'm going to get water. You want some?"

Ana nods and mouths thanks before answering the call. "Hey, mom."

"Sweetheart… _Hi_! Did I catch you at a bad time?"

"No. I'm just sitting here watching a movie with Elliot."

"Hi, Carla!" Elliot calls out.

"Hi, Elliot!" Ana's mom screams into her ear. She winces.

"I'll put you on speaker, so you can tell him yourself," Ana sighs.

"Hi, Elliot!" Ana's mother says through the loudspeaker this time.

"Carla: The most beautiful woman in the south," Elliot flirts.

"You're too much, Elliot. But I must ask, why only _the south_?"

Ana frowns at the phone. _Give it a rest, Carla._

"Because your gorgeous daughter has the rest of the globe covered."

Ana quietly shoos Elliot away, but he sticks around to kneel down and kiss her on the forehead. He's insistent that his words are true, and he wants Ana to know it.

"You are so sweet, Elliot," Carla chuckles over the phone.

"When he wants to be," Ana taunts.

"Which is _all the time_ ," Elliot quips, kissing Ana on the forehead once more. "I'll be right back," he announces.

...

 ** _(The following day)_**

"When was the last time your mom visited you?"

Ana's positioned with a knife, cutting board, and stalks of celery across the island of the Greys' massive kitchen from the lady of the house. Grace is tasked with dicing raw chicken.

"She hasn't been to Seattle since I moved here."

" _Really_? Why not?"

Ana shrugs her shoulders. "I've gone down to Savannah a few times when she lived there. She just hasn't made it up here. Her and her husband Bob are in New Zealand now. Bob is on assignment."

"Hmm."

Ana wonders what's going through Elliot's mother's mind when she says _'hmm'_. _Whatever it is, it doesn't sound positive._ Ana decides to plow through the negative feeling with more talk. "My mom keeps threatening to come up here soon to meet Elliot. She enjoys speaking with him over the phone."

Grace stops mid-chop and looks up at Ana. "Oh? Elliot's spoken with your mother?"

"Oh, yes. Every time she calls and Elliot's with me, they talk. Those two are quite comical every time they chat," Ana smiles. "My mom adores him."

"My son certainly has a way with the ladies, no matter their age," Grace sighs before returning to dicing.

Ana stops her own chopping and searches Mrs. Grey's face. Her expression gives nothing away, but Ana suddenly feels cold. _What exactly does she mean by that?_ After a few beats of staring, she decides to let the comment go and return to her task. "When I first came here, I thought your housekeeper did all of the cooking."

"Really?" Mrs. Grey chuckles.

"I figured you didn't have time, being a doctor and all," Ana says, almost too ashamed to admit it. "You're extremely busy."

"Oh no, I'm _never_ too busy to cook. I _love_ cooking for my family," declares Grace. "That will never change. My only wish is that my youngest son wasn't so busy to join us on Sundays. He enjoys my cooking, too."

Ana looks up after chopping up a stalk. "Do you save him a plate sometimes?"

Grace smiles fondly. "Last Monday, I took leftovers to his office downtown. My fried chicken and baked macaroni and cheese are his absolute favorites. Oh, and I can't forget the apple pie."

Ana longingly sighs. "I think I had dreams about that pie," she muses. "It was _so_ delicious."

"Thank you. I'll share the recipe with you."

Ana looks at Grace, stunned. "When I asked Elliot, he said that was a family recipe that you'd never share."

The older woman smiles warmly at the young woman. "I can trust you with an old Trevelyan family secret, can I? You mustn't tell a soul once I divulge."

"Of course not," Ana swears.

"Good. I know that I made it last Sunday, but how about we make it again tonight, so you can see how it's done? It won't take long."

"Heck, I can eat that pie every single day and never get tired of it. It's just _that_ good," beams Ana.

...

The next day, Tammy leans against the opening of Ana's office at work.

"Marty's younger sister came over this weekend."

"That's right," Ana recalls, looking up at her friend from her seat. "Did you girls have fun?"

Tammy nods before stepping in to take the chair opposite Ana's desk. "I was telling her about you and your boyfriend." Ana's eyes narrow in response. Tammy continues, "She made the connection as to who Elliot's brother was. When Evie pulled out her phone and started scrolling through all the pictures of Christian Grey, my husband almost cursed me out for drooling so much. And just so you know, since Elliot is _hottie supreme_ , I have now christened his brother: _Hottie Divine_."

Ana doesn't snap at her friend or even brush her off. Instead, her lips form a straight line. _Although I've never met Christian in person, he is very attractive._ Her mind goes back to all of the family and individual photographs that include him, adorned all around the Grey mansion.

"He is very pretty," Ana admits.

" _Pretty_? No, motherfucker is _fine_ as _fuck_."

Ana guffaws. She's not used to hearing Tammy curse like that. "Keep it down Schmidt, or someone from management will hear you."

"You _are_ management," Tammy reminds her.

" _Lower_ management."

"Anyway," Tammy brushes her off, "even though I absolutely adore Elliot, seeing those photos of his brother _almost_ made me wished that you hooked up with _him_ instead."

Ana gapes. "You're so bad. Get that fantasy out of your head. I'm not even in Christian Grey's league." As soon as she says it, Ana knows that the words came out so very wrong. "What I mean is that Christian is high-society, while Elliot is a regular, down-home kinda guy. Elliot is more my speed. We're perfect for each other."

"And there you are again, being closed minded," Tammy playfully rolls her eyes.

"Oh my God… Do you even hear yourself?" Ana sighs. "You're hooking me up with my boyfriend's brother inside that twisted little brain of yours."

"Hey, a girl can fantasize. Hell… I'm married. I can't imagine myself riding Christian Grey like the wind. But I can picture my closest single friend doing it. And you're one degree closer to him than I am."

"Again, wipe that fantasy out of your head," Ana says, nearly growling. "Elliot and I are doing great. Model good looks and a ton of money alone doesn't do it for me. Besides, Elliot is hot and wealthy in his own right, along with an awesome personality to boot."

Tammy throws up two hands in placation. "No need to defend Elliot to me. I'm already sold. I'm just saying… his brother is next-level hot. _And_ rich. His net worth is ludicrous. Evie pulled that up, too. A girl can dream, right?"

Ana can't think to do anything else but shake her head. "Well, not to put a damper on your fantasy, but being _next-level rich_ isn't all that it's cracked up to be. Can you imagine Christian Grey calling Mylegent himself to handle his own business as Elliot did? That would _never_ happen. Christian has a team one must get through before one can reach _the man_ himself. Heck, his own mother has to go through an intermediary just to say _'hi'_ to her own son," Ana frowns before continuing her tirade.

"And unlike his brother, Christian can't simply roam the streets alone. He has to take security everywhere he goes. Elliot says he's practically reclusive to his penthouse when he's not working or traveling on business. He's very mysterious and not as family oriented as Elliot. I adore how much time Elliot spends with his parents. Family is very important to me. Needless to say, I think I ended up with the _right_ Grey."

Now sinking into her chair, Tammy sighs. "Steele, you're absolutely no fun. I was only kidding. Lighten up."

Ana blushes in embarrassment after her needless defending.

"Are you able to do lunch this afternoon?"

"Sorry," Ana says, flashing her bottom row of white teeth. "I'm meeting Elliot's mom."

Tammy gapes. "Didn't you just see her yesterday?"

"She'll be in the neighborhood. She's stopping by Christian's office to drop off dinner from yesterday, and then I'll meet her over at the delicatessen."

"You two have become rather chummy lately. What does Elliot think about that?"

Ana shrugs. "He hasn't objected."

"You're going to marry this dude," smirks Tammy. "I see it. You're already working his mom."

"I am _not_ working her," Ana strikes back, rolling her eyes. "She calls or texts whenever she's in the neighborhood, and we meet up."

"I've known Marty's mom for _years_ , and I've never spent as much quality time alone with her as you have with Elliot's mom."

"Hey, you'd love Dr. Grace Trevelyan Grey too if you met her," Ana beams. "She is one amazing lady."

Tammy shrugs. "That may be the case. Margaret Schmidt, on the other hand, is a royal pain in the ass. No wonder Marty's such a _mama's boy_."

Ana laughs.

…

Elliot was shocked when he called his brother earlier this morning, and he answered. But what shocked him even more is when he offered to meet him at the high-end health club downtown during lunch hour for a few sets of indoor tennis and Christian actually accepted.

Hours later, the two men are like beasts on opposite sides of the net. Onlookers gawk through the glass wondering who will drop the ball first. The two men are seemingly unstoppable. They were certainly a sight to behold for female passersby. Each brother, breathtaking in clingy damp shorts and t-shirt. Both glistening – all sweat and muscle, and power. One woman's husband even had to pull her off the glass.

Suddenly, Christian hammers the ball, slamming it right to the floor before Elliot can reach it.

"Fuck!" Elliot grunts. "Water break!"

Christian beams at his older brother in satisfaction as the two of them meet by the water cooler.

"You know, I can still kick your ass in video games," Elliot pants before downing the plastic cup.

"But when it comes to _actual_ sports, you always lose," Christian counters.

Elliot gulps the drink and Christian reaches for his. "Hey, video games are a sport."

Christian pulls down the cup, revealing his frown.

"People get paid lots of money to compete in video games. It's like poker now," Elliot adds.

"I'd kick your ass in poker, too."

"Bet… Let's do _video game_ poker next time."

"I'll gladly kick your ass in that too, big brother."

"So… how's life, chump?"

Christian rolls his eyes. "Keeping busy. _You_?"

Elliot takes another drink and nods. "Yep. And things are getting rather serious with Ana and me."

Christian gapes in response. "I don't believe it. Elliot Grey, settling on _one_ vagina?" He leans against the wall, fully intrigued.

"I can do that now since Ana's is _so_ awesome. Hell, if you had her, you'd give up everything else, too."

To Elliot's surprise, his brother laughs. Instead of egging him on, he says, "She must be something special."

"You'd finally see for yourself if you stop ditching Sunday dinner at our folks'," Elliot lobs.

Christian sighs. "Man, you know I'm incredibly busy."

"What's this?" Elliot says, gesturing at their entire surroundings.

"I'm only able to make time because it's fitness related, and I've been slacking on my workouts as of late due to my heavy workload."

Elliot playfully feels his brother's huge biceps and pants like a woman in heat. Christian swats him away. "Liar. You never skip arm day."

"I still get my run in every morning," Christian reveals.

"But that doesn't explain how you maintain those bulging biceps," Elliot teases.

"Well Elliot, for one, I don't eat like shit. Unlike you, I skip the Li'l Woody's burgers," he says, slapping his hand against his brother's nearly negligible belly fat. Still, compared to Christian, Elliot feels severely out of shape.

"Fuck you, man. I'm never giving up Li'l Woody's. They are my heartbeat."

"More like they'll stop your heartbeat if you keep eating them on a regular basis," he warns. "Secondly, when I can't work out with Claude or do weights at the gym, I do pushups in my office in between meetings. I'll even do them during a conference call if someone pisses me off. It helps calm me," he says matter-of-factly.

"You really are a meathead," Elliot teases. " _Damn,_ man."

"Ana likes flabby men?" Christian teases back.

"I'm not flabby, asshole. You and I probably weigh the same. Remember, muscle weighs more than fat," Elliot grins.

"I'm very aware of that," Christian smirks back.

"What about you, lover boy? Is there anyone that I should know about?" Elliot says with a twinkle in his eye.

"No," Christian responds curtly.

"Man… come _on_. There has to be someone."

"Nope."

"You're no fun," Elliot sighs.

"But you are when I'm kicking your ass," Christian says, now smirking. "Are you ready for another beating?"

"Aren't _you_ confident. I'm going to win at least _one_ set before we leave here."

"Way to aim high, Lelliot."

"Hey, gotta start somewhere."

The two brothers eventually return to their positions at opposite ends of the net. Christian prepares to serve.

"Mom really likes this one."

"How'd you know?"

Christian slams the ball with the racket and Elliot intercepts it, hitting it back over the net.

Christian hits it back. "She told me. So, don't fuck it up."

Elliot hits it. "I won't." Christian hits it back. "She's the best thing that's ever happened to me."

When Elliot lobs the ball back over the net, Christian misses it. It's because he's gaping at his brother.

"Yes! I got one!" Elliot cheers. However, Christian is still stunned by his brother's earlier words.

"Are you serious? I've never heard you say that before."

"Dude," Elliot sighs. "Why is it so hard to believe that I'm in love? Wasn't it inevitable?"

Christian's brows furrow deep. "No."

"Get the fuck outta here, man."

"I'm serious. You're a player, Elliot. You can't _play_ this girl. Mom adores her."

Elliot now contemplates the fact. "Mom does meet Ana for lunch sometimes during the week."

"I know."

Elliot gapes. "You _know_?"

"I talk to Mom at least once a week. You know this. She brings up you and Ana. A lot, in fact."

"So, what else did she say?"

Christian rolls his eyes. "Nothing. Serve." He throws the tennis ball to the other side, and Elliot catches it with his left hand.

"Come on, Christian. Don't leave me hanging. What has Mom said about us?"

"Serve."

"Nope. Not until you tell me what Mom said to you about Ana and me."

"More about Ana than you."

"What did she say?"

"Trust me, you don't want to hear it. Now hurry up and serve. I don't have all day."

"Just say it. Does she not like Ana?"

Christian sighs. "Have you heard a single word I said, dumbass? I told you that Mom _adores_ her. I told you not to fuck this up."

"So, go ahead tell me what you don't think I want to hear."

Christian glares at his brother, burning a telling beam right into his thick forehead. "You _don't_ want to hear it. In fact, you already know what it is. Mom already told you."

The moment the thought drops back into Elliot's remembrance, his stomach turns.

"Oh," Elliot sighs. " _That_."

"I understand how you feel. And I'm not saying that we should handle things the exact same way, but I think it helps to talk about it."

Elliot's eyes widen in surprise at his brother's words. _He of all people is now telling_ _ **me**_ _to open up. The irony._ It's definitely a moment for the ages, but Elliot rather not charter such downer territory so early in the day. Instead, he lightens up the mood by readying his serve.

"Surfs up, asshole."

…

"Send her in," Christian says before releasing the button on the intercom. A short time later, his mother saunters into his office, and he stands to greet her.

"Mother."

"Christian."

Grace carefully places her free hand on his bicep, and the two touch cheeks as they blow a kiss.

"For you," Grace says, handing Christian a plastic bag.

"What was it last night?"

"We tried Ana's delicious chicken stir-fry with homemade teriyaki sauce. It was magnificent." While taking the plastic bag, Christian gapes at his mother. _She actually let someone else cook in her kitchen?_ "Oh, and we made another apple pie since Ana enjoyed it so much last week."

"Oh yes," Christian triumphantly whispers. His reaction puts a smile on his mother's face.

"So, were you here yesterday as well?"

Christian nods. "We're approaching the deadline for the shipyard deal in Thailand."

"Your father mentioned that."

Christian nods.

"So when will you know if you got it?"

"By the end of the week."

"Good luck, sweetheart. I know it's in the bag."

Christian nods. "I'm fairly confident."

"If all goes well Friday, you'll be at the house Sunday, right?"

As hope spreads across his mother's face, Christian sighs.

"I'm sure Dad told you about the deal in Melbourne too, right? That's next week."

Grace's expression falls. "You have Ros and other people working for you. Must you sacrifice every single weekend? We miss you. And besides, you haven't even met Ana yet."

"And I feel as though I already know her. She's all you talk about," Christian warmly smiles.

"She's wonderful. In fact, I'm meeting her for lunch after I leave you."

Christian's eyes open wide. "Hey, Elliot and I played tennis over an hour ago at the club."

"Really?" Grace says, pleasantly surprised.

"We talked about Ana," he says, now looking straight-laced. "He's still not ready to deal with… _You_ know."

Now sober, Grace nods in understanding.

"Just be cognizant of that," Christian advises.

Grace closes her eyes, pained. "It's _not_ healthy. Not in the least."

"We all deal with tragedy in different ways," Christian reminds. "This is just his way of dealing with it."

"By completely ignoring it?" Grace sparks. Christian smooths his hands down both of his mother's arms in an attempt to calm her.

"I don't think he's ignoring it. He's simply not ready to talk about it."

"Which is the same as ignoring it. He's not even seeing a therapist, Christian." Suddenly, Grace's eyes begin to moisten with tears.

"Mom – don't work yourself up. It's going to be okay. Elliot's fine. He actually told me today that things are getting pretty serious between Ana and him."

" _Really_?" Grace says, shocked.

"The _l-word_ may have even been mentioned," Christian teases.

"Oh, my goodness," she gasps. "He told you that?"

Christian nods, amused. "I was pretty shocked myself."

"Wow… I guess miracles _do_ happen," Grace contemplates out loud.

"I'd say. I thought I'd never hear my brother say those words about _any_ girl. She must be pretty special."

Grace purses her lips. "You'd know for yourself if you came over for Sunday dinner once in a while."

Christian sighs. "I know, I know. Elliot said the same."

"Well, listen to him. _Please_ come to dinner this Sunday."

"Mom, you know I can't. I told you why. I need to get these deals sealed and launched. When all's done, I promise, I'll be back at Sunday dinner."

The loving mother gently places a hand on her tall and strong son's shoulder. "I guess your promise to join us eventually will have to do for now."

...

After lunch at the nearby deli, Ana and Grace stroll the area and eventually find themselves in a locally owned craft shop.

Ana's enthralled in the detail in each piece, be it the hand knitted doilies, tablecloth, or quilt. Meanwhile, Grace stands a few feet away tracing the detail of the knitted plant holder hanging down from the ceiling.

"My mother used to make these," Grace muses. "I haven't seen her make them in a long time."

"That's definitely a gift," Ana admires the same piece as she approaches Grace. "I wished I could knit."

"Funnily enough, I never learned how to do it. My mother taught me once, but I was more interested in cooking at the time. And medicine." Grace chuckles at the memory. "I wouldn't mind taking knitting up now. Hey… how about we both take a class?"

Ana's eyes widen in surprise. "That would be great. I'd love to."

"Good. I'll see if I can find lessons. I'm sure we'll be knitting like this in no time. I adore these things," Grace says, tracing the threads of the plant holder once more.

"You like gardening too? I remember you telling me," Ana says.

Grace nods with a longing smile. "It's about that time of year. I was thinking about putting a flower bed around one of the trees in the yard. Perhaps you can help me next Sunday."

"I'd love to," Ana smiles.

"Great. What kind of flowers do you like?"

Ana searches her mind hard. "Hmm. I never actually thought about it. Begonias, perhaps?"

"Begonias are key," Grace points. "Definitely begonias. Tulips?"

"Yes."

"Violets?"

"Definitely. Something green, too."

"Hostas, of course."

"That sounds perfect. By the way, the tree stumps on display as you come up your driveway are simply beautiful."

"They are. I don't really deal with the front. The landscapers handle that. I add my own personal touches in the yard. That's where I like to sit and do all of my reading."

"Really?" Ana says, all wide-eyed. "What books are you reading now?"

"Mostly medical. I occasionally dive into mystery when I want to wash work away," Grace chuckles.

"Very nice. I recently started reading mysteries. Nothing more recent than 20th century, though."

Grace beams. "Still reveling in the classics, I see."

Ana nods. "I just love the feel that they give me."

"Those older time periods fascinate me as well. Hey… we should go antique shopping one of these days."

Ana smiles. "Sure. That would be nice."

"There's a wonderful place in Bellevue. I'm not sure if they're open on Sundays. I'll find out." Grace immediately takes out her phone and awakens it.

"Okay," Ana nods. She thinks to herself that there's no way she can afford to antique shop in Bellevue. _Still, there's no harm in browsing, right?_

"Alright," Grace says, bringing the phone closer to her eyes even after putting on glasses. "I think we might be in good shape. I see that they open until three o'clock on Sundays. This Sunday, how about we leave our boys to their baseball on TV while we go antiquing?"

"Sounds like a plan."

"You'll love it, Ana. It's like being transported to another place, long, long ago. It's beyond fascinating."

"Can't wait," Ana replies sincerely.

"Great!"

"Oh… How's Christian?" Ana suddenly asks.

"As busy as ever," she scoffs. "I wish he'd quit working so hard. He doesn't even need to."

Ana smiles in understanding. "It seems he enjoys the challenge that his work brings him."

Grace nods. "He truly does. But I'd wish he'd put it down every now and then to spend time with his family."

"He used to, from what you told me," Ana recalls.

"Every week," Grace confirms. "Well, almost every week. Now it's seldom, if ever."

"He'll get there."

Suddenly, Mrs. Grey spark. "He turns thirty next month."

"That's right. Elliot mentioned that," Ana lobs.

"I told him a while ago that I wanted to throw him a big party. He shot it down, of course. I guess we'll just do a simple dinner with the five of us over at the house on the Saturday following his birthday."

Although Grace tries to hide her disappointment, it doesn't go unnoticed by Ana.

"What about a surprise party?" Ana laughs. She's kidding when she says this, but the astounded expression currently etched on Grace's face tells her that her joke didn't sink in.

"What a brilliant idea!"

"I was only joking. I don't know Christian all that well. But from what Elliot's told me, I'm not sure if he'd care for that idea."

"It'll agitate him at first, but then he'll get over it. Oh, you're brilliant, Ana!"

Ana groans internally in agony.

 _Oh crap, what did I just get myself into? If Elliot's brother finds out that his silly girlfriend was the one who first suggested to their mother to throw him a surprise 30_ _th_ _birthday party, we probably won't be on the friendliest of terms moving forward._

…

 ** _(The following Sunday)_**

"This is a _bad_ idea," Elliot says at the dinner table with a shit eating grin.

"Wait a minute," Elliot's father reasons from the other side. "It just might work."

"Christian _never_ celebrates his birthday," Elliot reminds him.

"But this is a big birthday for him. Why _not_ this time?" Elliot's mother volleys from the opposite corner of her husband.

"Don't get quiet now," Elliot teases his girlfriend across from him. "This was apparently _your_ idea in the first place."

Ana knows that Elliot is well aware that she'd only suggested a surprise party for Christian as a joke. Instead of striking back, she stews in her own frustration, leaving the deliberating to just the family members. But first, she leaves a parting thought.

"Please don't tell Christian that it was my idea," Ana pleads with nervous laughter.

"Don't you worry, Ana. Grace will get all of the blame. You can count on that," Carrick says deadpan.

"Gee, thanks," the Mrs. frowns at her husband. "Christian's turning thirty. We don't have to tiptoe around him anymore. He's proved that he can handle whatever's thrown his way."

"But you're talking about a _surprise party_ , Mom. A party that's supposed to be for _him_. A party that he _never_ wanted."

"Elliot certainly makes a good point, Dear," Carrick chimes.

Grace huffs. "Well, it's too late now. I already talked with some of the potential invitees."

"Well damn, Mom. Why are you asking us, then? Things already appear to be in motion."

"Fine. I'll cancel it if you think it'll be a big deal." Grace looks disheartened, and immediately everyone at the table feels bad about it.

"No. Have it," Elliot says after a short bout of silence. "It'll be awesome seeing Christian completely lose his shit in front of all the guests."

Ana rolls her eyes at her boyfriend.

"He won't," Grace sparks. "He'll be fine. You'll see."

"Well, June can't get here soon enough," says Carrick. "Can't wait to get this thing over with."

Grace sighs. "You two act like Christian will go thermonuclear."

"He will!" The two Grey men say in unison. Ana laughs unwittingly.

"My mother will be there. You know Christian can't resist her. He'll be fine. She'll keep him calm," Grace says, resolved.

Carrick shrugs. "You may have a point."

"I _may_? No, I _know_ ," his wife beams back in extreme confidence.

Elliot finally acquiesces. "Grandma Trevelyan's definitely a soft spot for Christian. Your mother just might save you this time."

Grace brushes off her son's remark.

"Did you buy anything while antique shopping?" Elliot asks his girlfriend.

"No, but the shop was lovely," Ana says fondly.

"I told her she'd like that place. It's like a miniature Pemberley brought to life," Grace adds.

"Pember- _who_?" Elliot frowns.

"Pride and Prejudice. Jane Austen. So uncultured, Elliot," teases Carrick. Ana and Grace laugh, while Elliot rolls his eyes.

"How do you know about that stuff, Dad?"

"Assigned college reading."

"Thankfully I skipped that particular class."

Ana frowns playfully across the table, and Elliot proceeds to play footsies with her.

"Cut it out," Ana giggles. Elliot continues, and Ana laughs even louder.

Ana looks up and over to her side, and she sees Grace looking fondly at the two young lovers.

 _Elliot, please don't mess this up. I_ _ **really**_ _like this one._

* * *

 ** _(THE PRESENT)_**

In the middle of her fourth straight orgasm, Ana is on the verge of passing out. At the very start of their tryst in bed, Christian promised that she'd come _three_ times. Yet he went over that by one, and he still hasn't managed to get one in for himself. Ana never thought that such an unselfish lover ever existed.

"What about you?" she moans with her eyelids tightly clinched as tremors continue to wrack her. The added weight of his body on top of hers is a delicious feeling. No matter how tired she may feel, she's not quite ready for this time with him to be over. _I want all of him._

"Don't worry about me," Christian responds. Perhaps if her eyes were opened, Ana wouldn't have heard that trace of hidden youthfulness in his suave, held-together tone. It's yet another side of him that she's never been exposed to before tonight. "It's about time someone thought about your needs first for a change."

With that, her eyes spring open just in time to catch Christian rip open a foil pouch. She gapes at him. _Holy hell, he's on his way to bringing on a fifth._ Ana's lightheaded and out of her mind at the sight of his perfect naked body, astonishing length, and skillful hands. So, it's no surprise to her what she does next.

"What are you doing?" she pants, still coming down from her high.

"I'm going to fuck you now," he croons with a hooded gaze.

 _Oh God… yes, please_ , she internally begs. Ana can't believe that this glorious man hasn't had enough of her yet. Before tonight, she felt all used up and tossed aside as waste. She didn't feel loved, or even desired. In this moment, she feels like a queen on a throne. It's a feeling that she's honestly never felt before. For once, a man aims to please _her_. And if he's already exceeded his promise for tonight, just imagine what he'd do in the next forty-eight hours.

 _Holy shit_ , she exhales.

The very prospect produces a heady cocktail featuring the remnants of her prior orgasms, plus a brand-new excitement that promises something much rawer and more intense than what came before. As Ana's mind churns, she slowly goes insane. Before she can stop herself, she stops him from rolling on the condom by touching his hand.

"I have an IUD," she murmurs. _Smooth, Steele._ _ **Real**_ _Smooth._

Christian's smirk inches down towards a frown. _An IUD?_ The revelation stuns him. He never would have recommended her getting that. Instead, the shot had always been the method of choice for all of his past lovers. Medical procedures that include inserting foreign objects were not favorable to him. _I have no doubt as to whom made her get that shit in the first place. Asshole._

"That's not a barrier for disease." Even though Christian's ire was directed towards Ana's ex, his words did not come across in that manner.

Ana's earlier euphoric expression falters. "I don't know about you, but I've only had sex with one person in the last four years." To her surprise, Christian's frown deepens.

"No offense, but the same didn't apply to the _other_ individual."

The words hit Ana like a ton of bricks. _Yes. Of course. My slutty ex._ Christian immediately picks up on her severe change of mood. Quickly, an apologetic expression washes over him, but Ana places her hands on his arms to hold him at bay.

"Don't," she says, resolved. "Don't apologize. That was fully warranted… what you said. Which is why I got tested once it was confirmed that he cheated. Fortunately, I'm clean." Ana winces the moment she both sees and hears Christian's relief. Before she can completely forget all the magic that happened before now and wallow in the shitty past, Christian's panty-dropping smirk returns with a vengeance. It throws Ana for a loop.

"I am clean as well," he announces. "So, if you don't mind…" Suddenly, he tosses the half-opened condom across the room. Ana laughs. "I'm not a big fan of those."

With the awkward moment suddenly behind them, Christian presses his mouth against hers and quickly returns to where they last left off before doing what they promised they wouldn't do: Bring up Elliot. As their tongues dance a forbidden dance together, Ana's body hastily prepares to receive him in every way. Her lips practically swell at the intensity of their kiss. Soon, his mouth slides down to her jaw and to her neck. She moans, tossing her head back.

"The very second I claim you, you're mine, Anastasia. Always," he declares against her throat. "No one else will ever see you or have you like this. Is that clear?"

Ana doesn't know whether to be extremely turned on or deathly afraid by this man.

"What about you?" she breathes. Her words are barely a whisper. Her sex begins to throb in a sensual rhythm that can't be contained. She's never been this hungry before.

He stops kissing her neck and looks her dead in the eye. "I don't cheat. I _never_ cheat." There's not even a drop of humor or pretension in his words. He's as serious as a terminal illness.

Ana can't help but speculate about who else had the privilege of lying underneath this man. He has made her body do some crazy things already, and the night had just begun. But her thoughts quickly shift into the abyss. _Why hasn't he ever brought anyone to Grace? Why haven't I met them? Why am I just now hearing about glimpses into his past romantic history? Can I trust him? Is he conniving and dishonest, just like his brother?_

"Stop it." The sound of his commanding voice snatches her out of the depths of her despair. He spotted her downward spiral from a mile away. "Stop it now." He firmly caresses her chin, urging her wandering eyes to focus solely on him. "I am not _him_ , understand? I'd _never_ hurt you like that. _Ever_."

Something about the way Christian looks at her as he says those words. _I almost believe him_ , she thinks. Her mouth opens ever so slightly, and his mouth dives down to it, and in it. It doesn't take very long for her to forget the pang that she just felt. That fear of falling has resided. At least for now. She's in the moment, refusing to linger on what was and what could be. She's enjoying losing herself _right now_ in this more-than-capable man. _I'll deal with the aftermath of tomorrow when it comes._

Meanwhile, Christian's outlook on now and later is completely different than Ana's. He's longed for this woman for a very long time. He's anxious to make her his more than anything else on this earth. _She has no idea what she's in store for, both now and later._ He sees beyond the present, envisioning a life unlike any other. He tables the sappy thought for the time being. There are more pressing matters at hand. In fact, one teases her breasts, while the other tests the waters down below. Ana pushes a moan inside of his mouth. _Oh yes, she's ready._

The burning desire between them further intensifies, yet his lips draw away from hers. Looking down, his gaze radiates with such an intense reverence that it nearly frightens Ana. She can't believe that this is the same self-composed man that sat across from her earlier over a pricey dinner. The very same man whom she'd confided in many nights over the phone during her drive home from work. And while she was steady licking her wounds, he encouraged her with that quiet resolve that he had to never give up on love.

See, his advice took on a two-fold meaning. Not only was he attempting to uplift her, but he was laying down the groundwork in order for her to finally receive him in all his glory. Tonight, she would experience the fruits of his labor from the past two- _plus_ years.

And right before Ana's eyes, Christian peels off yet another layer for her to see. Now, he's looking down at her like she's pure gold. No… _platinum_. "I've never wanted anything so bad in my life. For _years_ , I've wanted you. And now that I have you, I'm never letting you out of my sight."

Something takes over Ana. It's an emotion that she can't describe, and it intensifies the moment he slowly slides into her. As he does, he stays true to his promise. He doesn't take his eyes off of her.

" _Ohhh_ …" she groans.

 _Fuuucccckkk._ Christian's in sensory overload. She feels better than he could have possibly imagined. He's here. He's finally where he always wanted to be. Inside of _her_. Any other man in his exact shoes would feel like a second-class citizen. Not him. Simply put, Ana was with the completely wrong man before they met, plain and simple. It's no fault of her own. And if this was all some sort of twisted fate, then it was well worth it for him.

Christian knows that he'll definitely have his work cut out for him after tonight – not just with Ana, but with his brother. _Elliot may have let Ana go, but he's not done with her in his mind. He'll want her back, especially after he finds out that she now belongs to me._ Christian has known Elliot for nearly his entire life. Growing up, the older brother has never called a time-out during a brutal game of tag. He's never cried _'uncle'_ in the middle of an intense headlock in the heat of a fight. If Christian wanted to play with a toy that Elliot had long forgotten about, Elliot suddenly wanted it back. Ana would be no different.

However, none of that was of great concern for Christian. What frightened him more than anything is what could potentially happen after he and Ana make love. _How will she take the news of my past? Will she stay? Will she go? I'm willing to fight for her no matter what._ The very thought strikes a nerve and his movement intensifies. He claims her wholly, body and soul, over and over and over again.

"You're mine," he proclaims through clenched teeth. _Finally._

Ana's approaching the point of no return. His bulging thickness, the fullness of him gliding in and out of her sex overwhelms her. The skillful yet powerful movement of his hips drives her mad. The intensity of his gaze, which she can't quite bring herself to pull away from, scrambles her brain. _Oh, my goodness, this_ _ **man**_ _!_ The combination of all those overpowering things quickly sends her tumbling down.

"Christian!"

"Yes, baby. I'm here. Let me love you… _Please_."

 _Love? He…_ _ **loves**_ _me?_ His words take her captive, as does his body. " _Oh_! Oh my…"

In no time flat, she's falling apart once more, exploding all around him. He doesn't stop moving; he simply rides her wave, relishing in the very feel of her. _I'm on cloud fucking nine._ As she continues to scream out her orgasm, he keeps on thrusting in and out of her in a dynamic, yet leisurely pace. He gazes at her in total awe, completely ignoring the fact that he's receiving something too out of this ordeal. But busting a nut is simply a byproduct of all this. His true victory is simply being here in the moment with her. Even if his balls turned blue and remained that way, it didn't matter; as long as she was happy and full of joy once more. Her smile and her laughter had brought _him_ so much joy. And now, hearing her scream out his name in ecstasy brings that elation to another level.

As far as Christian's concerned, Ana is finally his. And now, he's fully prepared to take on anything and anyone that threatens to take her away from him.

"Again," he grunts, thrusting her; possessing her to the fullest.

* * *

 ** _A/N: Faithful readers – Thank you so much for your patience during this extremely busy time. I'm on break from work for another week, so I hope to put out two more chapters before I return._**

 ** _This chapter is under 10k words because I wanted to end it here before bringing us over to the weekend-long sexcapades at Escala. Trust me, things get HOT._**

 ** _In the next chapter, Christian spills his past to Ana and hope she doesn't go running for the hills. Then, we flash back and see how Grace and Ana become inseparable to the point of making Carla jealous._**

 ** _Thanks so much for reading! – ST2_**


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter 4** **–** **Surprise! She's Mine Now**

 ** _(THE PRESENT)_**

"That was _so_ damned beautiful."

" _Uhhhhh!_ "

"Good girl. That's it. Like that. _Just_ like that."

 _"_ _Ah!"_

"Tell me if it feels good to you. I want to know. Let me hear you."

 _"_ _Ah!_ _ **Yes!**_ _Oh! Oh!"_

" _Mmmmm_ … Wonderful. I want you to come all over my cock again."

 _"_ _Ohhh! Uhhh!"_

"You're _so_ good, Anastasia. _Sooo_ fucking good…"

 _"_ _Ah!"_

" _So_ tight. _So_ wet. You fit me like a glove…"

 _"_ _Ohhh!"_

"…like you were made just for me."

" _Uh! Uh!_ "

"This is mine. _All_ mine."

 _"_ _Ah! Ah! Ah!"_

"You're beyond my wildest dreams. I'm _so happy_ right now."

 _"_ _Ahhhh!"_

"So nice. _Soooo_ nice. You are _so_ fucking beautiful."

 _"_ _Oh! Oh!"_

"I _never_ want to stop doing this to you."

 _"_ _Oh God!"_

"I want you in every way. Your gorgeous body… Your _everything_."

" _Ah!_ **_Christian!_** "

"Sweet Ana. _Christ,_ you're pulling me in. _Shit_ … You make me want to come inside of you _so hard_."

" _Oh! Please!_ _I'm_ … **_Coming!_** **_Ahhhhh!_** "

" _Baby_ … _Oh shit!_ … **_Fuck!_** I'm gonna come!"

…

Although Ana wakes with a start, her eyes hesitate to uncover entirely. She's well aware that something startles her abruptly, but she's unsure of what that _something_ is. It isn't until after her body shifts that she realizes that every muscle seems to hurt. Doubling over to one side, she groans. Slowly, she begins to recall everything that took place to cause the pain. Ana groans again, in pleasure this time. _What a delicious ache._

While carefully adjusting her position in bed, the back of her head lands on something sturdy and muscular. A memorable, glorious scent fills her nostrils as she recognizes exactly what she is lying on. More like _who_. Ana snuggles into him like a pillow, and thankfully he doesn't stir. Ana smiles a secret smile.

 _He is an extraordinary lover. No way in hell is this man a virgin. He's a master in the bedroom. He knew exactly what to do to me and he continued to do it all night long. Hands down, he's the best I've ever had._ Ana shivers at the tantalizing revelation.

Ana's thoughts suddenly shift to before she arrived at the massive penthouse. At what would be deemed as their first date, Christian was extremely respectful and aware of Ana throughout the entire course of the night. Every woman who passed by and ogled, or even went as far to make a pass at him in plain sight, was ignored. Christian remained oblivious to every advance. As far as he was concerned, Ana was the only person in the room besides him.

Later that night, that same man would worship her body as if she was the only person in the world. It was also as if there existed no other woman before or after Ana. All traces of his unspoken past sexual encounters were nullified with each thrust. He fucked her like he meant it. In contrast, Elliot had been the opposite. As time progressed in their relationship, Ana became well aware that she was not Elliot's first, nor would she ever be his last.

Now with opened eyes facing opposite the bed, Ana takes in the massiveness of Christian Grey's most personal space. Even in the darkness, she is overwhelmed. _Hell, this bedroom alone can devour the entire house that I grew up in._ Carefully, she shifts in the other direction until her sights land on the man himself. Gazing at his shadowy sleeping body, she immediately feels grounded again.

 _This man is not his net worth.  
He is not all of the tangible things in this room that probably cost him a mint to obtain._

 ** _This_** _is a man who seems to truly care about me._

Ana thinks back to some of the past conversations that the two of them had over the phone. Christian never came across to her as a man who owned a massive glass tower in downtown Seattle. When he would listen to Ana's troubles and give her sound advice, it was as if he took off his golden armor and descended to her lowly world in order to help ease her anxieties. A rich and powerful man suddenly became a relatable, empathetic human being.

However, the empathetic human being that she's known for the past two years is yet a different man from the one who just pleasured her to the hilt before fucking her senseless hours ago. This _sexual deity_ would vocally and physically declare to Ana over and over again all night long that she belonged to him and only him.

There are so many facets to Christian Grey, that Ana can't seem to wrap her brain around each and every one of them. She also can't help but wonder which man she would experience at any given moment – **_if_** there's even another moment to be had between the two of them after tonight.

 _Maybe he'll wise up and decide that being with his brother's ex-girl is just not worth the trouble. I'd be tossed aside yet again._

Suddenly, a feeling of deep sadness rushes in. _What in the world was I thinking coming here?_ Ana knows in her heart of hearts that she'll have to prepare herself for the fall. It happened with Elliot. It happened with Doug Dorsey back in college.

 _But there's something about_ _ **this**_ _guy that's very different._

Ana loved Elliot. She believed that she loved Doug. Those feelings that she developed for each of them were cultivated over time.

 _Christian is different._

What Ana feels for Christian at this moment as she studies his unbelievably attractive sleeping figure eclipses anything that she's ever felt for any other man. The very emotion scorches her soul.

Moving on after a broken heart was difficult, but Ana soldiered on after Doug. School and work filled the gaping hole that he'd left. And when Ana would later find love and lose it again with Elliot, the aftermath almost became unbearable. Still, Ana knew that she would survive yet another setback, even though the betrayal this time around was more severe.

This time, Ana knows for a fact the next separation will finally break her.

 _Could I ever return to life without having a night like tonight ever again with this phenomenal man?_ Ana's head bows suddenly at the gut-wrenching prospect. A gray cloud moves in and remorse makes an appearance. _He shouldn't have offered to bring me here, and I shouldn't have accepted. Now I'm trapped. There's no way in hell I can let another man get this close to me again._

 _I'm totally hooked. This was a_ _ **huge**_ _mistake. I need to break away now before it's too late and I'm completely destroyed._

But first, Ana would savor the present if she couldn't be here again. Snuggling back into the crook of a sleeping Christian's neck, Ana soon drifts back into unconsciousness.

…

Ana wakes up again, this time with the sunlight beaming through her eyelids. Upon opening her eyes, she sees a now woke Christian staring fondly at her. They are both still naked in his bed. While his smile broadens, Ana is perplexed. She idly wants to ask why he's creepily gawking at her in her sleep. Then she remembers that she did the same to him earlier, so she lets it slide.

"Good morning, angel," Christian croons before she can even speak. He smoothes her hair with the hand attached to the arm that she is still lying on. "You're just as beautiful when you sleep."

Butterflies rush in the pit of Ana's stomach. She suddenly feels very shy. Then Christian leans in and kisses her on the mouth. Ana is shocked. She immediately pulls away, taking him by surprise. She places a hand over her mouth.

"I haven't even brushed my teeth."

He frowns. "I don't care. You still smell and taste lovely to me."

Pulling her hand away, Christian moves back in and kisses her again. Ana feels self-conscious as his tongue has free rein all in her mouth. The second Christian moans his pleasure, she finally loses herself in their exchange and the kiss deepens. Eventually, another stray thought enters Ana's mind and she pulls back once more.

"Elliot wouldn't kiss me in the morning until after we brushed our teeth."

The words are already out before Ana can stop them. Christian's expression turns dark.

"Please do me a favor and never mention my brother again while we're both naked in bed."

"I'm sorry," she says in nervous laughter.

Heated, he doesn't flinch. "By the way, he's an idiot."

"I know," Ana responds with much sadness. "I know." After a few beats, she somewhat perks up. "You're right. Let's not talk about him." The moment she snuggles up against him, she realizes that he is rock hard against her thigh. Her eyes widen and he gives her a mischievous grin in response. She flashes him a sexy look back and grabs him below. He doesn't even blink when she does it, yet her eyes widen even more.

" _Geez_ , this thing is unreal," she says in awe.

"What's so unreal about it?" he teases, now kissing her neck. He pulsates in her grasp, pleasantly startling her.

"It's _huge_." She gently begins to stroke him back and forth, and his gaze narrows at her in satisfaction. "And you know exactly what to do with it," she breathes like a siren.

"I know what to do with just _that_?" he teases with a moan before kissing a trail across her jawline.

"No," she trembles while wearing a lazy grin. "Your lips." When his mouth reaches her ear, he gently sticks his tongue inside of it. She gasps. "And your tongue." When Christian starts to _really_ work it in there, Ana nearly loses it. "You know how to use _that_ especially well," she quivers.

Christian mounts on top of her, causing her breath to rush out. He then looks down at her like a king seated on his throne. Ana is too startled to breathe. "You and your body fully deserve to be worshiped, Anastasia." He suddenly pounces on her throat with his lips, and she gasps. "And you can bet that I will do _that_ and more," he vows. He shifts his face and proceeds to devour her mouth.

He desperately wants to take her sweet body again. He relishes in the very thought of being inside of this wonderful woman. Yet, he knows that he needs to come clean before they can truly be free to be together and _stay_ together like this. But there is something else on the forefront of his mind right now.

Pulling away from the kiss, he purposely looks down at her. "I hope you know that I'm not a very sensitive man. I don't get caught up in feelings."

Ana suddenly feels dread. A slow, nauseating plasma churns in her stomach.

 _Oh no.  
Not another one._

In spite of her shock, he cracks a smile. "What I'm saying is that I don't care if you only want to use me for my body or my money." Extremely perplexed, Ana gapes at him. "I just know that I want to be with you in spite of your motivation to be with me. I made up my mind a long time ago that I was in love with you. I'll take you any way that I can have you."

 _He's in_ _ **love**_ _with me?! Wow._ With a mouth nearly as round as her eyes, Ana gasps out loud. But before she can form her mouth to say a single word, he speaks again.

"I'm a faithful man. All of my relationships up to this point have been discrete."

 _No joke_ , Ana thinks to herself. No one in his family had any clue that he'd been in a relationship, _ever_.

"If you want to keep us a secret, we will remain a secret. I know that my mother has wanted us together for some time, so feel free to tell her if you'd like. She will also respect your wishes to keep our relationship private if that is what you want."

Ana is mortified. _I could_ _ **never**_ _tell Grace that I'm having a secret, sexual relationship with her_ _ **other**_ _son._ And as for the _money_ part, Ana is confident in her own ability to provide for herself. She could never envision milking this man's money, no matter how rich he is.

"Why would I want this to be a secret?" she finally speaks out.

Christian shrugs. "I just figured you'd want that since you used to be with my brother."

"What about you? Do you want this to be a secret? Like all of your relationships?"

"No."

Ana is taken aback by his quick and short response. She searches his gray eyes and they don't reveal a single trace of humor or pretense.

"I want the world to know that you belong to me," he says.

 _Oh my._

Ana's mouth is agape and Christian swoops down and takes it, kissing her wildly. She answers his wordless plea with one of her very own. Then another thought crosses her mind, and she breaks from the embrace.

"How did you get to be so… gifted?" Ana's cheeks warm when he smirks at her in response.

"Gifted? Like how?"

She pulls in a breath. "In bed."

His smile widens. "I've had plenty of experience." She's taken aback, but before she can say another word, he kisses her hard once more.

Ana senses that this man has an extraordinarily wild sexual appetite. She's marginally nervous to discover what degree that hunger reaches. But something deep down inside of her tells her that although he's beyond spectacular in the sack, he is holding back his full splendor. If that is the case, could Ana still hold her own with him?

 _Would I still be just as exciting for him, or would he become bored of me like his brother and move on to something else?_

As his tongue takes and takes, Ana hesitates to reciprocate. Christian picks up on her reluctance once more and cease their kiss. With fond gray eyes, he caresses her chin.

"Baby, I found exactly what I've been missing. I'm no longer searching if that's what you're worried about."

Ana gapes at him. _Holy crap, how does he know?_

"I know you better than you think," he adds. Ana's gaze widens in shock and he smiles knowingly. With a heavy heart, her head drops, breaking their eye contact.

"How'd you know you found what you've been looking for?" she says, disheartened.

Christian tugs her chin upwards and remains quiet until Ana's eyes are back on him.

"There used to be this void," he starts. "It was always there." He swallows and then pauses. "I used to try and fill it with many things. Excessive work. Fitness. Sex." Ana's brows raise at the revelation. "But when I first laid eyes on you at my surprise birthday party a couple years ago, something went off inside of me."

Silently reflecting for a beat, he peers fondly into her crystal blue eyes. She practically melts.

"At the time, I knew that you couldn't be mine. You were my brother's girl for fuck's sake. Still, I realized that you were the key to filling up that nagging void inside of me. Even if we couldn't be lovers, I knew that we'd at least be best friends." A giddy smile soon overtakes his beautiful face and it warms Ana to the core. Witnessing her receptiveness, Christian draws his face closer to hers.

"Ana, I've never felt so full as I am right now," he tells her. "Like I said, I've dreamt of this moment for such a long time. Now you're finally here, and it's more than I ever could've hoped for." He plants a soft kiss on her lips before searching her face for a response.

Instead of feeling flattered as she should, Ana is very fearful. Yet through that fear, she reaches out and touches the prickly stubble on Christian's chin. He closes his eyes in reverence of her gentle touch.

Then Ana leans forward and kisses him soundly.

* * *

 ** _(THE PAST – 26 months ago on an early Saturday)_**

Propped up on one elbow, Ana sighs at Elliot who's now fast asleep.

The boyfriend didn't arrive at her apartment until well after one in the morning, leaving her wondering if he would show up at all. These days, Elliot has been hanging out quite a bit with his longtime buddy Steve, who Ana has met very briefly. Ana enjoys how similar the best friends are when it comes to their twisted sense of humor, which she witnesses mostly when the two guys briefly banter over speakerphone. It's only been recently that Elliot started hanging out with Steve and their group of friends.

Ana appreciates that Elliot gets to have guy time since she herself partakes in Thirsty Thursdays with her friends. However, weekends have always been sacred for Ana and Elliot. She hates being selfish, but she can't help but miss those times when it was just her and Elliot. Then they would conclude their weekend with a wonderful dinner in Bellevue at Elliot's parents' place.

Ana has often said to herself as well as to close friends that she never wants to deprive Elliot of time with his friends. She believed that the more he hung out with the fellas, the more he'd be motivated to make the best out of their alone time together. Although they've only been together for about three months, Ana can't help but take notice of how things have already changed between them.

In the beginning, Elliot had seemed to make more of an effort in their relationship. Now, that he's settled, he seems more lackadaisical. Sure, the flowers stopped months ago, but so have the fancy meals. It's not if Ana minds bar burgers over high-end steak. As long as she's with Elliot, it didn't matter where they ate. But then, the dinner outings came to a halt as Elliot suggested that they cook at Ana's house. Ana's aware of how Elliot has been watching his spending, but now it's almost to a fault. He's always commenting here and there about how tight things are getting and how he needs to pull back from all of the extra spending.

Ana was happy to oblige by cooking at home on the weekends. She spices things up with new and exciting recipes, which Elliot appreciates. And although she's not heartbroken about not going out to eat as much, she can't help but notice that not eating out is still a subtle change. She begins to wonder if her growing relationship with Elliot's mother has anything to do with it, and whether or not she should pull back. The last thing she wants Elliot to feel is pressured. They've only been together three months, for crying out loud.

Ana still meets with Grace at least once a week for lunch. On days where Ana doesn't really get to talk to Elliot for long because he's extremely busy, she begins to feel distant and insecure. But the moment Grace is in her presence and talking up her son like he's the best thing in the world, Ana feels all warm and fuzzy inside.

Looking once more at a sleeping Elliot, Ana sighs again. She could tell that he had a few drinks when he finally got here, but not too much. He was still frisky. Not giving Ana a chance to ask him about his night, he rushed her to bed and had his way with her. It was so quick and fast, that the two of them are still in their t-shirts. Ana smirks at the thought.

 _And he got to finish, but I didn't._

Ana simply chalks it up to Elliot being a man and quietly laughs to herself.

Still, Ana thinks about all of the things that she'd like to do in bed with this man. One of these days, she'll get to have the type of sex that _she_ wants. She doesn't mind being manhandled and fucked until she screams. She makes no mistake confusing fast and furious sex for being fucked well. True, there may be some groaning and panting during a quickie, but it's not enough to induce any toe-curling screaming.

Granted, Ana _never_ had sex like that. She's only slept with three men in her entire life, with Elliot being the third. She can only dream about that type of sex. And although sex isn't necessarily the focal point of their relationship, she can't help that her body craves for that _something extra_.

 _Don't get me wrong, sex with Elliot is still great._

But lately, sex with Elliot has been _just sex_. Ana knows that if she told Elliot exactly what she wanted, he would probably give it to her. But being that she hardly sees him except for on the weekends, Ana decides not to add any drama to the little time that they do have together.

 _Oh well. Status quo sex it is_ , she concedes.

Thankfully when Elliot's not here at the apartment, Ana still has her battery-powered backup on standby.

…

 ** _(The following morning)_**

Ana's eyes open wide as she witnesses Elliot fully dressed and tying his boots. She tugs the sheets over her partially naked body.

"Where are you going?

 _He's obviously going somewhere._ Ana wonders why he's leaving so early, especially after getting here so late. Normally they spend the entire Saturday together before heading over to his parents' house for dinner on Sunday.

Twisting to his side, he looks at her, fatigued. "I told you, I'm holding interviews for my new assistant."

Ana blinks in realization. "Oh yeah, that's right." He'd mentioned this to her a few days ago over the phone.

"That's the _one_ position in my company that has the highest turnover," he sighs. "It's hard to find a quality admin. I wished you'd put in for it, but you're definitely over-qualified."

Ana ignores the comment about her. "How long was the last assistant there?"

"Not long."

"Wait… Didn't you just hire one not long after we first met? I recall you being without one when you filed your claim with me."

"That was actually _two_ assistants ago."

Ana gapes at him. "Man, you're not kidding about turnover. _Yeesh_."

"I think I pay a decent salary," Elliot frowns. "Still, I've been through a dozen admins since starting my company."

"Wow," Ana gasps. "How about your brother? Does he have better luck with admins?"

Elliot smirks. "Like I said, I pay out a _decent_ salary. I don't want to know what Christian Grey pays his longtime personal assistant. That woman couldn't quit even if she wanted to. The fool pays her exceptionally well."

"Just like your physical assets, your employees are a major investment. Turnover costs lots of time _and_ money. Maybe you'll want to start paying them more moving forward," Ana suggests with a smile.

Elliot stills as if he's considering the idea. "Perhaps. I'll think about it." He kisses Ana on the forehead, completely avoiding her mouth. "I'll be back later tonight." Ana nods just before he rises up to leave.

…

Later that morning, Ana is grateful that she is not alone in the apartment. Kate's home instead of at her boyfriend's. The two best friends sit together in the small kitchen partaking in tuna sandwiches that Ana just prepared, along with chips and soda.

"Have you met Elliot's brother?" muffles Kate through her food.

Ana shakes her head. "I haven't met Christian yet. He's a very busy man."

"Oh yeah," Kate says with a suggestive smile. "By the way, he's actually done business with my dad's company in the past. God, that man's sexy." Ana rolls her eyes at dreamy-eyed Kate. "I'm shocked that he's almost thirty and isn't boo'd up yet."

"I mean, look at Elliot," Ana argues. "He's older. Still unmarried."

Kate smirks. "But he has _you_ now. Besides, we know that Elliot has been with other women before. You _never_ see his brother with a date on the red carpet in the media."

Ana shrugs. "Elliot mentioned that Christian's always traveling around the world. And even when he's not traveling, he's always working." Ana shifts her head as she processes another thought. "Grace said that he's never brought home a woman. She hasn't told me this, but Elliot's under the impression that his mother thinks Christian is secretly gay."

Kate's eyes nearly eject. "That would be utterly devastating! He's denying the women of Seattle all that prime gorgeousness!" Ana laughs. "Yeah – Elliot's super cute, but his brother is a panty dropper." Shocked by her rudeness, Ana throws a nearby kitchen towel at Kate. Before she can dodge, it hits her face before falling to the floor. Kate cracks up laughing. "I'm serious, Steele. You'd better hook me up if he likes women."

"Yeah, I'm sure Keenan wouldn't mind," Ana smirks.

Kate laughs. "Who knows, Keenen might even leave me for Christian Grey if the man truly likes boys."

Ana shakes her head in pity at her friend. "Like I said, I still haven't met the guy. Don't know when I ever will."

"Bummer," Kate sighs.

...

 ** _(A week later)_**

"Who's your favorite singer? Justin Bieber?"

Sitting at a small round table, a beautiful little bald girl wearing a hospital gown bashfully rocks in her chair. Her crown is adorned with a dainty pink lace headband with a bow. The girl's eyes don't leave the floor, and she doesn't respond verbally to the question. Smiling brightly, Ana carefully places her hand on the girl's shoulder.

"I kind of like that _Boyfriend_ song myself," Ana beams.

The little girl suddenly springs to life. "Me too!"

All of a sudden, Ana begins rapping the opening line, and the young girl joins in. The two of them are soon bopping along together with the catchy melody. Going unnoticed, Grace stands at the door in her white coat and hospital badge, smiling wide at both of them.

As a longtime physician here at Northwest in pediatrics, Dr. Grace Trevelyan Grey has seen it all. And regardless of how bleak the condition of the patient may be, she knows that positivity and reassurance from others goes a long way during the healing process. That's why the hospital heavily relies on volunteers to show the young patients here a good time. When Grace asked Ana over lunch earlier in the week if she would be interested in volunteering one Saturday, she didn't think that it would happen so soon. She was pleasantly surprised to have Ana show up today.

An hour later, Ana carefully embraces the little girl and tells her how much fun she's had with her before leaving her in the room with her smiling mother. The girl makes Ana promise that she'll come back, and Ana gladly obliges. Grace warmly greets Ana the moment she steps out into the hall. Grace takes her by the hand.

"Ana, I can't thank you enough for coming here last minute and volunteering your time with the children. They will never forget this," she says with a loving squeeze.

"Sure thing. Although, I think I had way more fun than they did," Ana gushes.

"Oh no, they had a blast with you. I didn't know you were so wonderful with children."

Ana brushes away the bashful feeling. "It was really great spending time with the kids. I only wished Elliot could be here."

"Where is he, anyway?" Grace asks.

"At one of his job sites. Minor emergency," Ana says simply.

Grace nods in understanding. "He's normally at your place, right?"

Ana is taken aback by the question. She's hesitant to answer.

"I'm not naive, I know that he sleeps over," the mother says with a telling grin. Ana wants nothing more than to disappear in this moment. _I'm sure she's aware that her thirty-four-year-old son is having sexual relations with his girlfriend. Still, it doesn't make things any less uncomfortable._

"I get it," Grace chuckles. "I'll drop the subject."

Ana's glad. "Hey, by the way, I saw your email about knitting class. I'm good with Wednesday nights."

"Wonderful," Grace perks. "By the way, have you eaten yet? I was just going to take a late lunch and wondered if you could join me."

"Actually, I'm starving," Ana chuckles. "I'd love to join you."

…

Later that night, Elliot is back at Ana's apartment. The two are seated on the living room sofa in front of the television. He suddenly cracks up laughing at the old South Park rerun, while Ana rolls her eyes at the crude joke. Still, Ana can't help but laugh at Elliot's youthfulness. Even though she's not enjoying the actual program all that much, Elliot is making the time worthwhile by massaging her feet.

The show goes to commercial, and first up is the Broadway musical _Cats_ , which is coming soon to Seattle. Ana perks up.

"I've always wanted to see Cats."

Elliot snorts. "That looks dumb."

"It does not," Ana pouts. "I _love_ Sir Andrew Lloyd Webber's music."

" _Meow, meowwww…meow-meow-meow, meow, meowwww_ …" Elliot annoyingly caterwauls in melody while tickling Ana's foot. She laughs and starts kicking him. "Seriously, that's all it is."

"No way – you just meowed _Phantom of the Opera_."

"I mean, that's basically what that crap is."

Ana props herself up on her knees and pokes Elliot in the chest. "I'll have you know that _The Rum Tum Tugger_ is indeed a _fabulous_ song."

"The rum _who_?" he laughs.

" _Rum Tum Tugger._ They actually made it into a music video back in the eighties."

Elliot rolls his eyes and smirks. "Of course, you'd know that, _Miss Retro_. Hey, do you still watch old VHS tapes with your dad whenever you go back to Montesano?" He wraps his arms around Ana, and she snuggles into him.

"How'd you know?" Ana teases right back. Elliot quickly pecks her lips.

"Wild guess," he croons before kissing her again. "Did you have fun volunteering for my mom today?"

"It was the best," Ana exhales. "I wished you could've been there. Hanging out with those kids was so awesome."

Elliot frowns. "Terminally ill ankle-biters? No thanks. I'll pass."

Ana swats him on the chest. "Hey! They were amazing, each and every one of them."

"I guess that's the PC thing to say – that all sick kids are ' _great'_."

Ana glares at him. "Stop being an ass."

Elliot laughs. "I'm only joking."

"It's not funny. I really had a great time with them today," Ana says genuinely.

Wearing a guilty expression, Elliot pulls her into him with both arms. "I'm sorry, babe. I'm very glad you enjoyed your time at the hospital."

Ana snuggles into his chest. "I'm thinking about doing it every other Saturday. You're free to join me if you want."

"Sure," Elliot says. Ana immediately picks up on his lack of enthusiasm but brushes it aside.

"Oh… by the way, your mom and I are taking a knitting class together on Wednesday."

He pushes Ana back and searches her face. "Knitting? Are you serious?"

Ana looks bashful. "I always wanted to knit. And first thing I'm going to do is knit you a scarf."

"Is that right?" Elliot hums, rubbing her back.

"It'll be the best damned scarf ever. You'll see."

He laughs. "I don't doubt it at all. So, you're certainly spending a shit ton of time with my mom."

Ana's brow furrows. "Do you have a problem with me hanging out with her?"

"Absolutely not," he's quick to say. "In fact, you're the daughter she's always wanted." Ana laughs. "Are you just as close with Carla?"

"We're working on it," she says without smiling.

"That's right, you call her every day on the drive home from work," Elliot recalls. She nods in response.

Like clockwork, Ana calls her mother the moment she gets in the car after work. It's normally around the time Carla and her husband Bob are just finished having dinner. Talking to her mother helps make Seattle rush hour traffic just marginally bearable for Ana.

Even though she talks with her mother nearly every day, she still feels a disconnect between them. For one, Carla is over seven thousand miles away in Auckland. But as Ana becomes closer to Grace, there's a slight fulfillment in the void that once was. Ana doesn't feel that Grace is a substitute for her own mother, but she fully appreciates the doctor's maternal role in the physical absence of Carla. Ana is certain that she would be spending the same amount of time with her own mother if she lived in Seattle.

…

 ** _(Four days later)_**

After several attempts, they finally get the hang of casting on. Soon they're on their way to knitting like pros.

Ana and Grace sit alone at a small table, while ten other women and two brave men knit at the other tables inside of the modest arts and craft studio. The business is located not too far from Ana's job, so Grace conveniently meets Ana there after work.

"I really love that blue you picked, Ana," Grace admires.

"I thought it would make a cute scarf for Elliot."

"It most certainly will. Excellent thinking on your part. Me on the other hand, I have no clue what I'm even making," Mrs. Grey laughs.

"I really like that emerald yarn you're using. Why don't you make a throw for Carrick?"

"Perhaps. If I knew we'd be knitting something so soon, I would've gone with your yarn choice," Grace chuckles. "I _really_ like that color."

"It is very pretty," Ana says, admiring her own handiwork.

"Excellent work ladies," the older female instructor praises as she makes the rounds. Ana and Grace say their thanks, and the instructor continues to roam the class.

"How's the surprise party planning coming along?" Ana asks.

"So far, so good," Grace sighs. "I just hope Christian has a good time. He's been working much too hard. I want him to finally be able to relax and enjoy himself for a change."

"I'm sure he will. You'll see to it," Ana reassures.

"He had a very rough first half of his life, and I really want to see him in much better spirits moving forward. Maybe this party will be the start of a greater life for him."

"That's a noble goal. Maybe his thirties will usher that in for him."

Grace nods. Suddenly, she turns her attention away from her knitting needles. "Hey, you don't by chance have any nice single girlfriends you want to bring to the party, do you?"

Ana laughs. "No, all of my close friends are either married or dating exclusively."

"Damn," Grace utters under her breath.

Ana laughs. "Elliot's much older. Christian obviously still has time."

Grace sighs. "Yeah, but Elliot's never had a problem dating. I've never seen Christian date."

Ana's eyes widen. "Do you think…?" She doesn't have to finish the thought.

"I have no idea. I wished I knew one way or another."

"Have you asked?"

Grace fights a smirk. "Well, it's not really an easy question to ask. _'Hey son, are you gay?'_ "

Ana snickers. "You're right, it's a very touchy topic. But overall, he seems happy. Right?"

"I guess," Grace hums. "He has a much cooler head these days. I just wished that… that he was fulfilled."

Ana ponders her words. "How do you know that he isn't?"

Grace does some thinking of her own. "There's this little thing called _mother's intuition_. As you know, I didn't give birth to children of my own. I used to think that it was something that was passed down through pregnancy. I was a doctor yet thinking stupidly at the time."

"That's not stupid. It's a fair first impression."

"But it's a false one. The longer those children were with me, the more I felt like they were a part of me – you know?"

Ana smiles at Grace fondly. "I completely understand. I've never been a mom, but I get it."

Grace nods. "So, I said all of that to say that I know my son. Christian is still looking for something."

Her words confound Ana. "Well, whatever it is, I hope that he finds it."

"Me too, Ana," Grace says wistfully. "Me too."

…

 ** _(Nearly two weeks later)_**

The moment Ana steps down from the passenger side of Elliot's pickup, the front door of the ranch home swings open. Stepping out is an older, handsome man in jeans and a Sounders t-shirt.

"Hey, Annie!"

"Dad!"

Ana runs up the steps and heartily embraces Raymond Steele.

"This must be Elliot on luggage duty," Ray quips as he watches Elliot make his way up the path.

"It sure it," Ana smiles proudly. Soon, her boyfriend is by her side and she takes his arm. "Dad, Elliot. Elliot…"

"Ray," her father interrupts, extending a hand to the boyfriend. "Call me Ray. It's nice to finally meet you."

"Likewise. Your daughter has told me so much about you."

"If it's anything _kind_ and _benevolent_ , it's all lies."

Ana laughs. "No way. He's all that and more."

"Surely Ana must've gotten it from somewhere," Elliot smiles.

"Not from me. Come on in," Ray says, deadpan.

Elliot cracks up laughing, while Ana playfully punches her father on the arm. The three of them enter the house.

"I _really_ like your dad," Elliot whispers discretely to Ana. She answers with a secret smile.

…

Ana wasn't shocked in the least when her father and boyfriend hit it off right away. They talked about sports over dinner for nearly an hour. But the moment Elliot brings up fishing, Ray Steele flashes to life. Ana sighs. She knows exactly what this will lead to.

So, first thing Sunday morning, the three of them journey in Elliot's truck to a nearby lake to fish. They position themselves right on the dock before casting their lines into the lake. Soon they are seated comfortably in their folding chairs.

"Like I said before, there's no steelheads to write home about in this lake. You'll have to go further north of here for the good catch," Ray says gruffly.

"I know exactly what you're talking about," Elliot beams. "My father used to take me and my brother north. I had the biggest catch out of all of us one time."

"No kidding," Ray says in awe. "How big was it?"

Ana rolls her eyes. To her, it's the essence of a penis measuring contest. But after a while, she smiles at how well her two favorite guys are bonding. She sees flashes of her and Grace in these two men. Ana knows that if she and Elliot were to tie the knot somewhere down the line, they would have the full support of both of families. The thought for Ana is very reassuring.

"I remember the time Annie hooked one so big, it pulled her into the lake," Ray tells Elliot.

"Really?" Elliot cracks up.

"God, why do you have to tell that story," Ana sighs, embarrassed.

"That was one hell of a fish, I'd say."

"How big was it?" Elliot says through the laughter.

"Hell if I know. When Annie fell in, she lost the pole _and_ the fish."

Elliot doubles over laughing. Ana eventually gives him the death stare, and he settles down. "Hey babe – next time, wear skis and hold on tight to the pole," he quips.

For the first time in a very long time, Ana hears Ray actually guffaw. It takes her by complete surprise, so she can't help but laugh out loud. The three of them laugh so hard that they all end up holding onto their stomachs to control the pain.

…

 ** _(The following Monday)_**

"How did it go in Montesano?"

Ana is at a standstill in rush hour traffic as she chats with her mother. Ana recently purchased an aftermarket handsfree system with her bonus money and had it installed in her modest blue Honda Fit. The new purchase has made her life _much_ easier.

"It was great. We all went fishing early yesterday before Elliot and me drove back to Seattle to have dinner with his folks."

"Fishing with Ray, huh? This soon?" Carla chuckles.

"He _loves_ Elliot," Ana says with a smile. "I think he wants to date him."

"What's _not_ to love," Carla says with a laugh. "I can't wait to fly out there and meet him myself."

"At this rate, we'll fly to Georgia before that happens."

"You know I'd love to have you two over. Bob and I have plenty of room."

"I know."

"Other than that, what's been going on? When's your next knitting class?"

"That's Wednesdays," Ana reminds her.

"Oh yeah, that's right," Carla says quietly. "You sure have been spending a lot of time with Elliot's mom, haven't you?"

"About three days a week, sometimes four. It depends if she's in the neighborhood during the week."

"When she calls you to do lunch."

"Right."

"Does she not have any friends her own age to hang around with when she's not with her husband?"

Ana frowns at her mother's snippy words. "Of course she has friends."

"I was starting to wonder. She's spending a great deal of time with her son's girlfriend."

"If you met Grace, you would want to hang around her, too," Ana says, trying to sustain her borderline outrage. _Where is all this coming from, Carla?_

"Oh, I'm sure. I look forward to meeting her as well," Ana's mother says.

"How's that new book club you joined last weekend?" Ana says, quickly changing the subject.

…

The next day for lunch, Ana meets Grace at a nearby restaurant.

"What's going on?" Ana says, concerned. She sensed during their earlier phone call that something was weighing heavily on Grace. "Is everything okay?"

"Gretchen quit last night while I was at work."

Ana gapes at her. "Your longtime housekeeper?"

Grace sadly nods. "Without notice. Carrick said that she just walked out without explaining why she was leaving. He said she was in tears."

"Oh no," Ana breathes in shock.

"I haven't a clue if she's moving back to Europe, or if she managed to find another home in the area to work at. Whatever it is, Gretchen hasn't been the same for the past few months. Now I'm searching frantically for her replacement. It's frustrating because Christian's surprise birthday party is _this_ Saturday."

"That's _right_ ," Ana gapes. "I totally forgot about that."

"Unfortunately, I haven't. This sets me back a great deal."

"Is there anything I can do to help?"

"No, thank you," Grace says. "I'll figure out something. Christian's people are helping me find a quick replacement for Gretchen."

"Honestly, I'm here if you need me."

"I really appreciate it, Ana. Unfortunately, I'm going to have to skip out on our knitting class this week due to my full plate."

"Of course," Ana says in total understanding.

"I'll be able to pick it back up next week. I promise."

"Take your time," Ana encourages. "We'll go back whenever you ready."

…

 ** _(The following Saturday)_**

Ana is beyond the point of annoyed. Last night, she and Elliot got into a slight argument over the phone when he insisted on hanging out with Steve instead of coming straight to Ana's apartment. Ana was hoping Elliot would arrive at a decent hour to help her pick out something to wear to his brother's surprise birthday party the following night.

Instead, Ana ended up calling Kate who was kind to leave her boyfriend's place and help her. While Kate was home, Ana was able to rant to her concerning how much Elliot has changed and has seemingly started to ignore her feelings. Kate reassured Ana that _men are dumb_ and that he would come around once the two of them spoke face to face.

Elliot eventually showed up sometime after three in the morning and crashed in Ana's bed without saying a word. Thankfully, Ana was too exhausted to fight with him. But once daylight hit, Ana let her boyfriend know that she was not pleased with him.

"What's your problem?" he sighs in the kitchen as Ana cooks. Irritated, she avoids eye contact by focusing on the stove. "Are you going to talk to me or what? Tell me… What did I do this time?"

Ana's blood instantly boils over. She turns from the frying eggs and glares at him.

"You _can't_ be serious."

" _What_?" he says, appearing to be at a total lost. "I have no idea what I did to piss you off. I told you the other night that I was going to meet Steve on Friday."

"And I told _you_ that I needed you here to help me figure out what to wear to your brother's party, but then you decided to go out drinking with your buddy instead," she says, trying very hard to control her emotional state. Ana had been stewing for nearly twenty-four hours and she's about to reach her breaking point.

Meanwhile, Elliot could care less. He puffs in frustration. "The party isn't until tonight. We could've done it in the morning with plenty of time to spare."

"Not when we have to leave for Bellevue at three o'clock. If I don't have anything appropriate to wear for the party, I need to shop for it. There's really no time to do that now, is there?" she says passive aggressively.

Elliot boils over. "Hell, wear whatever you want! Wear a poncho for all I care! It's at my folks' house! _Shit!_ You've been there before! This is _not_ that serious!"

"And it's absolutely unnecessary for you to yell at me!" Ana strikes back with equal fury. "And to be honest with you, I _really_ don't feel like going to a stupid party!"

"Well don't fucking go then!"

Upset, Ana abruptly turns off the stove and storms out of the kitchen.

"Where are you going? Ana!"

Ignoring him, she runs to her room and slams the door behind her in order to blow off some steam.

…

"Babe, _please_. Talk to me. I'm _so_ sorry." His voice is very tender.

Ana's face is devoid of tears. In fact, she hadn't really cried that much earlier. More than anything, she was red hot from the argument that transpired twenty minutes ago. Currently, she's still simmering as she lies on her stomach on top of her made bed – fully clothed in jeans and a gray Dave Matthews Band t-shirt. Elliot suddenly splays on top of her back as her cheek presses against a pillow. Ana sighs in frustration.

"What about that pretty red dress you wore on our first date?" he murmurs.

Gradually, Ana cools down after two minutes of silence.

"You like that dress?" she finally speaks.

"Of course," Elliot answers before moving her long hair over to one side. He gently kisses the nape of her neck. "It was beautiful, and you were extremely beautiful in it. That was probably one of the best days of my life seeing you in that dress."

Now smiling, Ana remembers that she hadn't worn this particular dress since their Valentine's Day date. _Perhaps I could break it out tonight?_ For some reason, Ana feels somewhat at ease since their spat. Reflecting fondly on how things first began for the two of them seems to be helping alleviate some of the tension.

"Last night, Kate helped me pick out a pair of jeans and a silk blouse that ties up at the neck. However, I might consider wearing the dress."

"Please," Elliot whispers, kissing her neck again. "The red dress."

"What are you wearing?" she asks.

"Jeans and a button-up shirt."

Ana breathes. "Well, it's settled."

Elliot tucks his arms around her and squeezes her close to him. "Red dress?" he says, full of hope.

Ana quietly chuckles. "Red dress."

"Yes," he murmurs victoriously. Ana laughs. "Babe, I'm so sorry for being a dick. I'll never raise my voice like that again."

"It's fine."

"It's _not_ fine. Moving forward, I promise… we'll talk it out and not resort to yelling, ever."

Ana smiles. "I can live with that."

Elliot twists so that he and Ana face off on a single pillow. He kisses her nose.

"You brush your teeth, Steele?"

She rolls her eyes. "Get the hell out of my room, Grey."

Elliot laughs. "That would be a _yes_." Ana fights backs a grin.

He leans in to kiss her mouth.

…

The other guests parked in a secured private lot just under a mile away before hopping on a shuttle. Grace wanted to ensure that Christian didn't suspect a large party taking place at the house. Knowing her son, she figured that he'd have his driver turn the car right around and take him home if he really knew what was happening. As far as Christian knows, Grace would be making his favorite meal and they would celebrate his belated birthday over pie along with his immediate family and Elliot's new girlfriend. He probably won't expect to walk into a house with well over fifty people and a team of servers.

Elliott takes Ana hand and carefully guides her out of his truck. Soon afterwards, they are stepping inside of the house where a male server awaits with a tray of wine. The server offers, and the couple accepts. Before they can take a sip, a frazzled Grace enters the foyer. She is not smiling. Ana is startled.

"You're late," she scolds Elliot, then Ana.

Ana winces, but Elliot is not shaken by his mother's irritation. In fact, he smiles smugly at her. "Is Christian here?"

"No," Grace answers.

"Well then, we're just in time. Cool your jets, Mom." Elliot embraces his mother and kisses her cheek, but the matriarch's anxiety remains.

Grace hugs Ana as soon as Elliot releases her. Even though she can't see it from where they stand, Ana can hear the cacophony of the party. The sounds of light jazz music and sporadic laughter fill the air.

Grace's nervousness temporarily resides when she finally takes one good look at her son's girlfriend. "Oh Ana, you look marvelous."

Ana blushes. "Thank you. Your dress is _beautiful_."

Grace is wearing a flowy but stiffly pressed linen white floral dress. She looks every bit of the role of mistress of this grand castle in Bellevue.

"Come with me. I want to introduce you to my parents and some of our friends."

Grace hooks her arm into Ana's and then steals her away from her date. Ana nearly spills her drink, but she quickly recovers. Ana then turns and looks behind with laughter and Elliot humorously shrugs in response.

…

In the great room, Carrick hugs Ana first before she is introduced to Grace's parents.

"Please," the senior matriarch insists. "Call me Grandma."

"And you can call me Theodore," Grace's father interjects.

"Very well," Ana beams. She hears Elliot chuckling behind her before he steps forward and joins her side.

"I've heard so much about you," Grandma Trevelyan says fondly while squeezing Ana's arm. "You are so pretty!"

"Thank you," Ana says shyly.

The grandmother admires the young couple with her wise eyes.

"I can tell that the two of you do a lot of fooling around."

Ana's eyes gape wide, while Elliot laughs.

"Mother!" Grace says, mortified.

The grandmother ignores her daughter. "I have no doubt that I'll see great-grandchildren before I start pushing up daisies."

"Hell, you're practically a zombie now," her husband groans.

"And you're no Harrison Ford yourself," Grandma Trevelyan strikes back.

Ana is stunned by the exchange but wears a smile, while Elliot is loving the candor between his grandparents.

"Settle down, children," Carrick playfully scolds.

Grandma Trevelyan immediately brushes it off. "You really did a great job choosing Ana," she praises her grandson. "She is quite lovely." Ana blushes at the complement.

"Thanks, grandma."

On the other side of Ana, Grace wraps her arm around Ana and squeezes her. "He most certainly did." Ana blushes even more.

"Yes…" the grandmother starts with a shaky but warm voice, "…she almost reminds me of…"

"Sorry… Mom, did Steve make it yet?" Elliot says to his mother, interrupting his grandmother. Grace is taken aback. Ana turns and looks up at her boyfriend, shocked by his apparent rudeness. _His grandmother was talking, for Christ's sake._

"Yes, he made it here twenty minutes ago," Grace says, visibly unsure of Elliot's point.

"I want to finally introduce him to Ana."

Grace's eyes narrow, but Carrick speaks out. "Ana hasn't met Steve?"

"I met him briefly in passing about a month ago, but I've heard a lot about him," Ana chuckles. "They are like two peas in a pod."

"I'd say," Grace secretly smirks.

Elliot brushes away his mother's snarky comment. "We've been best buds since elementary school," he says fondly.

"They used to get into all kinds of mischief," interjects Grandma Trevelyan.

"Hey, watch it," Elliot teases the sweet old lady. Ana laughs. Elliot playfully frowns at his mother who's holding back a chuckle.

Grace shrugs her shoulders. "She said it, not me."

"Boys will be boys," Grandpa Trevelyan says in his infinite wisdom.

Grace looks past the group and perks up. "We'll be right back." Ana's eyes round when Grace tugs her along with her.

"Hey! Where are you taking her _now_?" the two hear Elliot call out behind them. Ana laughs.

"I want to introduce you to some of the others before my mother and father talk your ears off," Dr. Grey smirks. Ana giggles.

"Your parents are so lovely."

"I'm glad you think so," Grace says with humor.

Ana looks around taking in the new setup of the Greys' great room. Grace has done a spectacular job transitioning it for the party. Furniture has been moved from the center to the sides, making the already grand space seem grander. This was obviously a move to offer up space for the over four-dozen guests to stand around and socialize. For their convenience, there are tall dark gray linen-covered tabletops spread throughout for everyone to congregate with hors-d'oeuvres and drinks. Servers of all kind hustle and bustle, each offering guests a little of everything from drinks to a bevy of delicious looking finger foods. Ana pays special attention to the tray of dainty sliders that go by and makes a mental note to try one later.

The two ladies continue to make their way through the impressive group of guests. Leading Ana with purpose, Grace responds here and there with a fond hello to all that greet her. Some of them silently hoped that Grace would at least stop to introduce them to Elliot's new girlfriend. However, Grace doesn't stop until they come face to face with two ladies, one tall redhead and one short blonde. They are both wearing impressive summer dresses fit for a billionaire's birthday bash.

"Ros, Gwen," peps Grace. She hugs both ladies in turn. "You two look wonderful."

"Grace… goodness, so do you," the redhead with the gravelly voice beams. She soon turns her attention to Ana. "And who is this beautiful young lady?"

"This is my Ana," Grace says proudly. Ana freezes at the surprise introduction. "Actually, Ana is Elliot's girlfriend, but I stole her."

Ana beams nervously as the other two women laugh.

"I can't say I blame you. She's quite the catch," the first woman responds.

"Ana," Grace starts. "This is Ros and her partner Gwen. Ros is second in command at Grey Enterprises Holdings. Christian's company."

Ana's eyes widen in understanding. "Oh, it's a pleasure to meet you." She shakes Ros' hand, then Gwen's.

"Likewise," smiles Ros.

"Ros has worked with Christian since the very beginning," Grace explains. "She also helped me pull off this surprise party."

"Speaking of," Ros frowns, "where is he?"

Grace gapes at her. "I was just about to ask you the same thing. He's late. I hadn't heard anything from Gail."

 _Who is Gail?_ – Ana thinks to herself. _Christian's girlfriend?_ Ana knew that he wouldn't need help finding someone like his mother insisted. Ana suddenly envisions a very powerful, attractive male figure walking through the foyer with a tall beautiful blonde model on his arm. In Ana's mind, the two would definitely be a power couple to eclipse all power couples.

Ros shrugs. "I haven't received a call from security saying that he's left the office yet."

Ana sees Grace's anxiety from earlier return. Ana gently rubs her back. "I'm sure he'll be here soon," Ana softly reassures.

"He'd better be," Grace grumbles.

Grace knew that she couldn't count on Christian's trusty right-hand Taylor to keep a secret from his boss. So, she secretly enlisted Christian's housekeeper Gail to keep her abreast on Christian's whereabouts via Taylor. Gail had the advantage since she was married to Taylor. Grace needed to know where Christian would be at all times in order to have an opportunity to get all of the guests in position to surprise Christian. Ros also was tasked to have Grey House security keep her updated once the big boss left the building.

As time moved on, Grace paces the party a nervous wreck. Christian is running much later than anticipated. _He is never late_ , the mother thinks to herself. She finally caves in and texts Christian to let him know that dinner is getting cold and the family is all waiting for him to arrive. Three minutes later, Christian responds by apologizing for running behind due to a business call that went over. He promises to head over shortly.

…

"I don't know what you did to score such a prize, Grey."

"Because Ana has spectacular taste in men."

"I beg to differ."

Ana fights back a smile as she watches Elliot get razzed by his best friend Steve. With thinning blond hair in contrast to Elliot's thicker blond hair, Steve is the life of the party. Newly divorced, Steve continues to roast his old pal like a frat boy.

For Ana, it's more than obvious why these two have been such good friends for so long. It's also obvious why Elliot likes to hang out with Steve most Friday nights instead of her. There's only so much cuddling and TV a couple can do. Although Elliot might be approaching his mid-thirties, but he doesn't look or act his age. He enjoys being out and about.

"I can't wait to see Christian lose his shit when he sees all this," Steve laughs.

"I really don't want to see that happen," Ana says with nervous laughter.

"I _totally_ do," Elliot chuckles.

"Not cool," Ana scolds with a smirk.

"Seriously, it's a sight to behold," Steve says.

"To be honest, he hasn't been like that since we were kids," Elliot fesses up.

"He'll probably play it cool at first. Then he'll yell at someone in private," Steve humors. Elliot laughs.

As time progresses, Ana can't help but roll her eyes at the immature back and forth between the two pals. But all of a sudden from across the room, Grace frantically taps a fork against her wineglass, nearly breaking it.

"Everyone! Get in position! He's here!"

"Oh shit," Steve says among the now chaos.

Frazzled and confused, Ana gapes at Elliot. "What do we do?"

"Hell, I don't know. I'm just as lost as you are."

"If you two had gotten here on time, you'd know exactly what to do," Steve teases.

"Kiss my ass, Gibbons," Elliot whispers loudly.

Steve laughs. "Just follow my lead."

Steve quickly dashes towards the nearest tall table and stoops behind the draped cloth. Ana and Elliot do the same. The lights immediately dim. Elliot places an arm around Ana and kisses her on the cheek, and she snuggles into him.

"Hey, cut that shit out," Steve says in a loud whisper, causing a round of others to shush him. Ana and Elliot silently laugh.

Everyone in the great room hide and squat in dead silence. After a few beats, the suspense is beginning to kill Ana. She wonders what exactly is going on up there. Suddenly, the lights come back on, and Steve leaps up. Elliot and Ana look at each other first before doing the same.

 **"** **SURPRISE!"**

All eyes are at the front of a room where a tall, fit wild copper-haired young-looking man stands next to Grace. Wearing jeans and a dark blue shirt unbuttoned at the collar, he frowns at the commotion.

Elliot pulls Ana into his side and looks over at Steve, who's now standing at the other side of Ana. "Uh oh. He's _pissed_ ," he whispers, holding back a snicker. Steve tightens his lips before laughing under his breath.

Meanwhile, the moment is extremely painful for Ana to watch.

 _Hell, he_ _ **is**_ _mad.  
And this was all my idea.  
Shit._

Christian exposes a slow devious smirk to the crowd before turning to look at his mother. Grace smiles guiltily. "This was all your doing," Christian says to her.

She nods. "Guilty as charged."

Christian wraps an arm around his mother who responds with a kiss on his cheek. The guests react with laughter and cheers. Immediately, the crowd begins making their way towards the man of the hour.

"Mom just dodged a _huge_ bullet," Elliot says to Ana, but Steve chimes in.

"I was a little nervous there for a minute," he laughs. He then turns to Ana. "I grew up with both of these asshats. That one over there had a serious temper when we were kids," Steve says, pointing at Christian.

Ana looks ahead and witnesses all the love surrounding Elliot's younger brother. Carrick greats the birthday boy with a hug and a pat on the back, while Grace doesn't leave her son's side, keeping a hand on his arm at all times. Ana smiles fondly at the affection that the Greys have for their son. And Christian's extremely good looks aren't lost on her. _He looks even better in person._ Even though he didn't make a red-carpet entrance with a suit and tie with arm candy in tow, Christian Grey still commands the room with his very presence.

"Let's wait for the crowd to die down before we go over and say _hi_ ," Elliot says in Ana's ear before kissing her cheek. Ana nods in agreement.

As moments go by, Christian appears to be having a difficult time talking to everyone at once amongst the swarm of well-wishers. Elliot, Ana, and Steve continue to stand in place and avoid the mayhem. Steve and Elliot chat away as the occasional familiar face stops by to say hello.

Ana looks over to check the crowd when she notices Christian laughing at something Ros said. He suddenly turns away and finds Elliot and Steve and his smile wipes clean off. Confused, Ana looks at Elliot.

"Hey asshole," Elliot mouths over at his brother with a wave. Frowning, Christian gives him the finger and Elliot and Steve turn to one another in laughter. Right then, Christian and Ana's eyes meet for the very first time. Christian's harsh expression changes. Unbeknownst to him, he is completely mesmerized by what he sees.

 _Is that really Ana?_

Suddenly, the words that he once heard coming out of the mouths of those surrounding him are muted. Faces become blurry and fade into the background. He now has tunnel vision. All he sees is her. Christian suddenly notices his own shortness of breath, but he tries to play it cool.

Ana can't help but feel awkward the longer they stare at each other. She finally breaks away from their intense gaze.

…

"Happy birthday, asshole," Elliot greats his younger brother while patting his back.

"Thanks, douchebag. You look like shit, by the way."

"Thank you."

Ana is thrown off by the harsh but somewhat-loving brotherly greeting.

"You must be Ana," Christian says, now looking down at her. He doesn't smile, but Ana still feels a warmth radiating on the inside.

"In the flesh," Elliot says. "Finally, the two of you two meet."

Christian extends his hand to her. "Hello."

The moment their hands touch, the two of them feel an electricity that can't be explained. Ana quickly draws back her hand.

"Hi," she says shyly. "It's good to finally meet you."

Christian looks over at his brother. "How'd you manage this one? She's obviously way out of your league."

Elliot responds with his signature phrase. "No shit." Ana giggles.

…

After resurfacing from the restroom, Ana stands alone while witnessing the guests mingle. Even though she has been introduced to quite a few of people, she doesn't feel comfortable enough to jump in and have a conversation with anyone. Ana almost wishes that Kate, Tammy, or even José were here keeping her company. Even Elliot is having a good time with Steve and a handful of old friends that they all grew up with. Ana can tell that Elliot has had plenty to drink, but he didn't go overboard. Still, his laugh is slightly louder than before as he continues to converse with the guys.

Instead of joining them, Ana decides to peruse the dessert station. She eyes the macarons and the parfaits, trying hard to decide which one to take.

"Why don't you have both?"

The deep male voice startles Ana. She turns and sees Christian standing right beside her.

"Oh," she chuckles. "Hey there. You scared me."

"I see," he smirks. "Like I said, you can have them both. They are miniature portion sizes for crying out loud. I don't think they'll ruin your nice figure."

Ana nervously laughs. "You're right." She reaches for one of each.

"Are you enjoying yourself so far?" he asks.

"Yes," she nods adamantly. "Absolutely. This is very lovely. Your mother did a fantastic job."

"She did."

"She was very nervous about all of this. She didn't know how you would receive it."

Christian nods. "I don't think that I made things easy for her in the past. I know she means well."

Ana's taken aback by the small glimpse into this very powerful man.

"She does. She wanted everything to be perfect for your birthday."

He smirks at her. "You two obviously talk a lot."

Ana looks down with a smile before looking back up at Christian.

"We do, in fact."

…

"Either the girl is nuts, or she doesn't know who Elliot _really_ is."

Grace gapes at her son as she grips the granite of the massive island in her kitchen. The party has thinned out and Christian has offered to help his mother in the kitchen against her wishes. The moment the two of them were finally alone, Christian decides to be candid about his brother's new girlfriend.

"She's obviously too good for him," Christian says without a trace of humor.

"You two boys are always giving each other such a hard time," the mother scolds. "Ana has been wonderful for him. Elliot has most certainly taken a turn for the better."

"I'm not so sure that a tiger can change his stripes," Christian says with a furrowed brow. He immediately ponders his own words and uses them to reflect on himself. He winces at the thought.

"Everyone is capable of change. Ana has certainly changed Elliot."

Christian sighs. "Don't go planning that wedding just yet."

"I honestly hope that they marry. Ana is simply _amazing_ , and Elliot is not getting any younger."

Christian rolls his eyes. "Mother, I don't want you to be disappointed if things end up not working out for the two of them."

"You have to be more positive, Christian," pleads Grace.

"Have you forgotten about all the headaches his psycho ex-girlfriends inflicted by coming over here all hours of the night to plead to you and Dad about Elliot taking them back? He is the reason why your security gate is nearly a mile away from your front door."

"Things have been different. He is much older now." Christian puffs air from his lips and rolls his eyes in response. "He's well over thirty and he knows that he needs to put those old childish behaviors behind him. He has proven his maturity by getting with Ana. She is the first _real woman_ that he's ever had. Elliot knows that."

Christian walks around the island in order to get closer to his mother.

"Elliot Grey is a chronic narcissistic sociopath." Grace gapes in horror.  
"Oh… And I forgot to add _male chauvinist_."

She flashes her son a severe frown. "You are _way_ off base, Christian. Besides, you are not qualified to make such an assessment."

"But I feel as though I am. I've been through enough shrinks to earn an honorary degree." Christian blinks at a sudden realization. "Speaking of _shrinks_ , I wonder why John didn't show up tonight."

Grace perks up. "He _really_ wanted to be here, but Rhian fell ill."

"Oh no."

Grace nods. "Bad summer cold."

"Bummer."

"So, John had to keep an eye on the boys for her."

"Understandable." Christian sighs. "Back to what I was saying before, you need to brace yourself for the worse with Elliot and Ana."

Sadden, Grace shakes her head. "That's the absolute wrong attitude to have. Those two are perfect for each other, and I can't wait for Ana to be a part of this family."

Christian briefly bows back, astonished by his mother's outlook. "Is it Ana you adore or is it just the idea of having a daughter?"

Grace holds back tears. "Both."

A flood of compassion suddenly rushes in making Christian feel for his mom. He knows that she'll be utterly crushed if Elliot botches up things with Ana. But instead of harping on the subject any longer and making his mother feel worse, he gives her a hug.

"Thank you for tonight."

Grace lets out a bittersweet chuckle. "I was nervous when you were running late. I almost thought that you wouldn't show up at all."

Wearing a telling grin, Christian steps back and looks at his mother. "Well, to be honest, I knew that you were up to something. Folks were acting weird at the office today, and Gail kept blowing up Taylor's phone asking when we'd be getting here."

Grace sighs. "It's hard to keep you in the dark, isn't it?"

He smiles at her. "You should know. You raised me."

Grace stands on the tip-toes of her high heels and kisses her son on the cheek. "Happy birthday, sweetie."

"You're about four days too late," he smirks.

…

 ** _(The following Monday)_**

Bill Marsden, the GM of claims at Mylegent stops by Ana's office.

"Hey there, Ana."

She looks up from her computer and is surprised to see her boss's boss in the flesh.

"Oh… hey, Bill. How can I help you?"

The older gentleman steps in and closes the door before taking the seat in front of her desk. "Just checking in on you. How's everything going?"

"Great. All of the claims on my team's docket are running smoothly."

"That's what I like to hear. Did you have a great weekend?"

Ana nods. "I did. How was yours?"

"Fantastic." The moment Bill shifts, Ana suddenly takes notice of him holding sheets of paper stapled together. "Look, I just received something that I found very interesting. It's regarding an old claim that you worked on during your previous job."

Ana's eyes widen. "Oh? Is everything okay."

Bill nods. "Of course. Things are peachy on our end. The old claim was just updated. If I'm not mistaken, you are currently dating the client of this claim, Elliot Grey?"

Ana's heart beats faster. "Uh, yes. Is that a problem?"

"Oh no," he acquiesces. "Absolutely not. You wouldn't work on his account in your new role anyway."

"Agreed," Ana sighs in partial relief.

Bill scoots his chair closer to Ana's desk, and she leans towards him as he places the papers on her desk.

"A recent court case was updated in the notes."

Ana gapes at him. "Court case?"  
 _What court case? Elliot never told me about any court case._

"Yes. Mr. Grey's vandalism case went to court." Bill slides the papers towards her. He then stands abruptly. "You know what? I'll just step out and let you read that. Please call me if you need anything at all."

Ana stares at her superior in a daze. "Sure. Thanks."

"Have a great rest of your day."

She's already scanning the pages before Bill leaves and shuts the door again. In her reading, Ana finds out that Elliot's pickup fleet was vandalized by John Marsh and his cronies. Marsh is a former friend of Elliot's. It was an apparent case of revenge because Elliot had allegedly slept with Marsh's girlfriend at the time. Ana is beside herself by the time she gets to the part about Steve Gibbons, Elliot's best friend taking the stand against their mutual friend, Marsh.

 _And no one has said a word about it._

Before Ana knows it, she's in tears.

* * *

 ** _(THE PRESENT)_**

Christian and Ana are eye to eye lying on their sides in the massive bed. Ana is rolled up in one of the sheets from chest to toe, while Christian is exposed to his navel. He caresses her cheek as she listens intently.

"I was heavily involved in the BDSM community."

All the air leaves Ana's body. Her eyes and mouth are as round as the moon.

"I expected that reaction," he says with a nervous smile. In spite of Ana's stunned current state, he continues. "I remained completely monogamous with all of my submissives. They each signed a contract and non-disclosure agreement."

Ana is flabbergasted. "How? Where? When?" she gasps.

Christian reveals absolutely everything. He tells her how he was first introduced to the lifestyle when he was a teenager through a former family friend. That woman currently resides somewhere in Europe in order to dodge statutory rape charges with a different teenage boy. The more Christian says, the more Ana freaks out. During his earth-shattering reveal, she couldn't help but notice a slight trace of fondness as the man recalls his past life as a dom. He even reminisces about a state-of-the-art playroom in his home. In moments, Ana spots a gleam in his hypnotizing gray eyes. It's fascinating yet disturbing at the same time.

After a while, the room is silent for a stretch of time. Christian does nothing else but gaze at Ana and rhythmically stroke her hair. In that silence, things begin to click even more for Ana. The very notion of a total weekend being locked up in Christian Grey's palace starts to make sense to her. _All of the sex… the mind-blowing sex. Maybe he's trying to work me up to his sexual desires?_ She shudders at the thought.

Ana doesn't dismiss the fact that Christian and his mother have gotten a lot closer since Elliot has strayed further away from the family. Family drama has allowed Grace to be closer to her youngest son like she always wanted. Ana's certain that the mother didn't want to sacrifice her relationship with Elliot in the process, but it has happened. With that thought in the forefront, Ana wonders if Christian has ever revealed his penchant for BDSM to his own mother.

 _Not_ _ **no**_ _, but_ _ **hell no**_ , Ana finally concludes. _Grace would be beside herself._

 _So why did he feel the need to tell me? Either he is insane, or he's just making sure that I run away from here and never come back._ To Ana's surprise, Christian seemingly reads her thoughts.

"I'm not blind," he says, killing the silence. "I know you want nothing more right now than to plan your escape." His hand gets deliciously heavier as he continues to smooth it across her soft-as-husk phantom-chestnut mane. Her breathing accelerates as a result of it and his brash declaration. "I just rattled off some very crazy shit to you. No matter how I or anyone that I was previously involved with would justify the situation, to anyone who's not in or into the scene, the prospect is extremely alarming. Hell, even certain people in the scene couldn't deal with my particularly iron-clad NDA."

Ana's eyes open even wider and Christian slides in closer. His outward demeanor is deceiving. He is calm. Poised. But on the inside, it's DEFCON 1.

 _She's definitely not taking this well.  
What in the hell did you expect, Grey?_

Christian's only method of defense is to show her affection. He is close enough that his lips don't have to travel very far to land softly on her forehead. He kisses it, taking in her very presence. Even after a weekend of intense mind-blowing sex, he can't get over the fact that she is finally here in his space. In his mind, if this is all that it is or ever will be, he can think back and appreciate that they were finally one for a moment in time. Nothing or no one could ever change the fact that he was able to get as close as he could to Anastasia Steele. If they are not meant to be, he could still find solace in his everlasting memories of the past eight hours.

But Christian knows himself. A blip in time with Ana would never be enough. He'll always want more.

"Say something," he implores. His voice is so deep that it vibrates her ribs, but it's so very soft at the same time. He kisses her again, but on the cheek before he sets her entire face in the center of his sight. She is contemplating so hard that he can almost see the gears turning in her head.

"Why are you telling me this?" she utters. The concern reflecting in her two pools of crystal blue irises send a chill down Christian's spine. He fixes his mouth to address her concern, but she continues. "Are you planning on pulling me into this?"

"No," he says almost too quickly.

Ana head jerks backwards from the sudden answer. She honestly wasn't expecting him to answer in that way. "Then _why_?" she squeaks.

Fearful that she's inching further away from him, he places his palm at the back of her head and brings her face back closer to his. "I don't want there to ever be any secrets between us. I want everything to be out in the open from the very beginning."

Her eyes round out even more, as does her mouth. _From the very beginning? The very beginning of what?_ The longer he talks, the more confused she seems to get. The very thought that he is naked before her and heart-stoppingly beautiful from head to toe is suddenly lost on her. His words absolutely boggle her mind.

"Against your will, you have become accustomed to lies and deceit. I don't operate in that environment," he says, resolute. "Now that you're in my world, I must lay everything all out in the open. You'll get no surprises with me. What you see is what you get. I have no time for bullshit, and neither do you."

A quick flash of fury leaves his face just as fast as it appeared, and Ana suddenly reminded of his extraordinary outer beauty. But suddenly, Christian's inner beauty intensifies the effect that the total package has on her. _Christian Grey is magnificent._ Ana must keep her composure. She can't allow herself to fall so hard, so fast. Especially after hearing him reveal his shocking hidden past.

"What about this… _playroom_ room of yours? Do you still use it?" The words are already out in a puff of air from her lips before she can stop them.

To her surprise Christian lips form a sexy smirk so faint, one can blink and miss it. "From the moment I first met you, I knew that I wanted something different." He clears his throat, wondering if he said too much. Then he realizes that he's already in this thing way too deep. _There's absolutely no turning back, Grey._

"I never knew that I wanted a different kind of life. What I deemed an _ordinary life_." Ana suddenly remembers his hand in her hair the moment his fingers thread through it and tighten in place, stilling for a moment. "Mind you, there's nothing ordinary about you, Anastasia Steele." He plants a quick, chaste kiss on her lips. "I didn't want that other shit anymore. I dismantled that room nearly two years ago."

Ana is stunned.

 _He did that? For me?_

 _No. He shouldn't have._

 _When he realizes he made a terrible mistake, he will eventually blame me._

"More talking, less thinking," Christian says while stroking her cheek. "Tell me, baby. What are you doubting?"

Ana lets out a shaky breath. "I doubt that you're completely done with that lifestyle."

"I hadn't done it in two years."

The news throws Ana for a loop. "But _how_? How can _you_ , a hotblooded male avoid having sex for so long?"

He narrows his eyes at her. "I said I stopped practicing BDSM. I didn't say that I stopped having sex entirely. Look… If you must know, it was very boring sex. It wasn't anything like what we've been doing here." Christian gazes at her in total adoration. Ana's heart skips a beat. "And no woman has ever been in my bed. Except for _you_."

Ana's too confused to feel flattered. _I have still questions.  
So many questions._

"Even though my last two relationships were still secret ones, they didn't involve BDSM. Yes, there were still rules, but the goal was to mentally prepare myself for the woman of my dreams. _You_." Ana is like a deer in headlights in hopes of not getting ran over by this powerful man. "I had no doubt that my brother would fuck things up. I just needed to be ready when he did."

Ana's expression falls, not because Christian counted on his brother's downfall. It's due to something else that he'd say just prior. "What about those two girls? You used them."

"Not so."

"If what you say is true, you had no intentions of staying with them."

"Yes, and they wanted the same."

Ana gapes at him.

"They were career women who didn't desire to have a real relationship outside of sex. Similar to how I used to be."

Her mind is completely blown. Suddenly, indignation takes over. "Let me get this straight. This is all about sex for you. Hell, you even said earlier that I could use your body if I wanted."

He takes in a breath. "Yes, I said that. But I never said that I would use _you_. Like I told you, I want all of you, Anastasia: Mind, body, _and_ soul. I want _you_ and only _you_ from this day forward."

With wide eyes, Ana contemplates on what to say next. She is stunned silent. Her mind, totally empty.

"I know you don't believe that I'll be totally devoted to you outside of a dom/submissive relationship but give me time to prove it. But first, I am still going to fuck you through tomorrow. I've waited _too_ goddamn long to have you to let you go to waste." Ana's jaw falls at his words. "I need to ask – after all I've said, do you still plan on spending the rest of the weekend with me?"

As she takes several breaths to collect her thoughts, his hand stills again in her hair. His eyes are so hypnotizing that she wishes that she could turn away. She knows that he's currently working his sensual voodoo on her. But she couldn't look away if she wanted to. In the back of her mind, she replays the moment the two of them first locked eyes at Christian's birthday party. And each passing day since then, he has slowly taken a piece of her until he consumed her whole.

When Elliot's ultimate betrayal was exposed, Ana's fall was cushioned. Although she was torn, she wasn't broken. She didn't know at the time, but Christian had softened the blow. And now they can finally be together.

 _After experiencing the best time of my life, am I willing to just walk away from this because he decided to be honest with me from the very beginning?_

Slowly, a soft smile begins taking shape across Ana's face. With insistent blue eyes, she nods. Suddenly, Ana witnesses an invisible weight being lifted off of Christian's chest. He breathes an audible sigh of relief.

" _Oh_ ," he gasps. "Thank God."

She smiles at him. "You were worried?"

He lets out a nervous chuckle. "For the longest time."

"So why did you risk it? Why tell me?"

Christian's expression turns serious. "Ana, whatever is in the dark will always come to light. Always. Maybe not now. Maybe not tomorrow. But eventually, it will come out." He begins stroking her hair once more. "And I can't afford to lose you down the road. Quite frankly, I can't afford to lose you at all, but I would definitely lose you if you were to ever find that I was ever dishonest with you. I never want that. I always want to remain honest with you, and vice versa. If there's everything you need to tell me, then I need you to say it."

Touched beyond compare, Ana reaches out and strokes his hair in return. "This is how a relationship should be. I pride myself on honesty. Finally, I know someone who feels the very same."

"Of course, baby," he coos. He leans in places a lingering kiss on her lips before withdrawing. "You deserve that more than anyone. I will never hide anything from you. Ever."

"Thank you," Ana whispers. She's at the verge of tears but she fights them back. Christian pulls her in and hugs her tight. While planting a kiss at the crown of her sex-tousled chestnut hair, he inhales her scent and relishes it. He eventually pulls back and resumes eye contact.

"So now, this entire weekend is all about what _you_ want, Anastasia Steele." He kisses her forehead. "First rule, we are to remain undressed for the duration of the weekend."

A chill runs down Ana's spine at the very notion. She releases a shaky exhale.

 _Lord, what have I gotten myself into with this priapic man?_

He continues. "Secondly, let me listen to your body so I can give it everything that it craves until you leave here tomorrow night." Ana's brow rises to her hairline.

 _Holy cow._

Her senses are completely overloaded from head to toe. She silently but instantly nods, and Christian beams like the sun.

Soon, he's rolling his body on top of hers and beginning the second act of their marathon weekend with a kiss to end all kisses.

* * *

 ** _A/N: Faithful readers – So, a lot just happened, but trust me, we still have quite a ways to go._**

 ** _Up next, we meet again with our new lovers at Escala. They just can't keep their hands off of each other. ;) Then, we jump back in time to witness the slow unraveling of Elliot Grey. Moving forward eight months from Christian's birthday party… Elliot misses Valentine's Day with his girlfriend for the first time ever, and Ana's not too pleased about it._**

 ** _Thanks so much for all your support in 2018. You are truly the best readers that an aspiring writer can ever hope for!_**

 ** _I wish each and every one of you a most glorious and prosperous 2019! – ST2_**

 ** _PS: Thank you from the bottom of my heart for voting  
"A Private Dance" into 1_** ** _st_** ** _Place in the "Best of 2018" Top Five FSOG Stories poll!_**


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter 5** **–** **Swim or Choke**

 ** _(THE PRESENT)_**

"Oh God! _Oh! Oh!_ "

"Ana… _Fuuuccckkk_ …"

"Uh! Uh!"

" _Christ_ , you feel beyond amazing. You're making me lose my mind right now."

"Oh, yeah? _Uh_ …"

"Mm-hmm. So good, baby…" *grunts*

"God… Christian, _ah!_ "

"Say my name again. Tell me it's mine and only mine… Always."

"Christian…"

" _Yes_. Again." *grunts*

"Uh! Christian! Uh!"

"Is it mine? Tell me…"

*screams* "Yes – of course! _Ah!_ It's yours! _Ahh!_ Christian!"

"Thank you, baby. Thank you for answering my prayers. Now… I want you to come for me."

…

"Geez, you cook, too?"

Ana's astonished as a nude Christian brings in a tray containing a breakfast quiche made with sausage, fresh fruit, water, and Ana's favorite tea. A glorious Adonis bringing breakfast in bed while in the buff is definitely a fantasy come true for Ana.

"Even though I love your smile and I know that it would please you 'til no end to know that I _can_ cook… I _can't_ ," he smirks. "Mrs. Jones made this the other day. Thankfully I do know how to operate a microwave, at least." Ana laughs.

After breakfast, they share a shower. He'd wash as much as he could of her body before the two of them could no longer contain themselves. Before all was said and done, Ana's breasts were firmly pressed against the glass door and she was fucked within an inch of her life.

When they finally exit the shower, Christian dries Ana off before presenting her with a fluffy white robe. He holds it open for her and she slides into it. _This was obviously made for a woman_ , she thinks as he ties the belt around her waist. It looks and feels brand new, but she still considers his exes and their abnormal past contractual arrangements. _Did this robe belong to any of them?_ She doesn't bother to ask as she watches him put on his own robe. She quickly deviates from her wayward thoughts and smiles at the fact that Christian was indeed dead serious about the two of them remaining undressed for the duration of the weekend.

Then Christian proceeds to give her the barefoot tour of his beautiful fortress. He has all of the personal amenities fit for a king. There's a ridiculous amount of space even for two dozen people much less one man. It features a gorgeous grand piano, the beautiful Seattle skyline as a backdrop in every room – including Christian's home office, and spacious guestrooms. He even has his own private indoor pool and hot tub which is accessible from the great room. Ana is amazed.

After the grand tour, Ana insists on making lunch. Holding hands, Christian escorts her back to the kitchen where she begins to survey all that he has, from cooking utensils to ingredients. When Ana asks questions, Christian isn't one hundred percent confident about where certain things are.

"I don't do the cooking," he reminds her with a boyish grin.

"That's right. You only possess stellar microwaving skills."

"You're goddamn right," he says too proudly. Ana giggles.

After some sleuthing, she soon finds her bearings in the new space and begins going to town preparing a grilled chicken Caesar salad, while Christian launches the surround sound system to play bossa nova-inspired French pop. Now sitting at the breakfast bar, he stops reading the work email on his iPad and begins watching Ana work instead. He's totally mesmerized by this woman, but she doesn't even notice him taking her in.

 _Ana's finally here, and she's so amazing and so capable in every way._  
 _Damn, I can't believe that she's really here._  
 _And she's **really** mine._

Meanwhile, the melodic manner in which the female singer ' _bop-ba's_ ' catches Ana's attention.

"Who's this singing?" she asks, without taking her eyes off of the chicken grilling on the stove.

"Saint Privat. The song is _Rokoko_."

"Hmm… I like it, very much." Eventually breaking out of her zone, Ana finally turns to Christian and catches him grinning like the Cheshire Cat.

 _Why is he smiling?_

The very idea of him staring at her and smiling causes her spirit to leap. She stifles a grin.

"Do you have a chardonnay? It'll pair well with the salad," she says, trying to kill the sexual tension.

"I do," he says before rising to his feet. "I'll get it."

Soon he's back in his seat with glasses, bottle, and cork, and he's back to watching her.

"You know, watching you work barefoot in my kitchen isn't lost on me," he says with a sultry grin.

"Makes you think _'barefoot and pregnant'_ , huh?" she teases. As soon as she says it, she winces. _Yeah, right. Like that'll happen._ Shockingly, his smile remains intact. She gapes at him. _Holy cow_ , she thinks. _He must be joking. We literally just got_ _ **here**_ _and he's already thinking '_ _ **babies'**_ _?_

 _No way._

…

After using the restroom, Ana carefully climbs back into bed with a sleeping Christian. Her mind montages their naked Saturday. _It was magnificent._ After lunch, Christian got some work done in his study, while she spent time in his library. She was truly amazed by his impressive collection of first edition print novels, which included some of her favorite classics. Ana fell in a trance while diving into and revisiting the classic gothic novel _Rebecca_ until Christian rejoined her.

The adjoining game room was revisited since the previous tour stop, and Christian eviscerates Ana in pool before fucking her over the baize – which she thoroughly enjoyed. After a nap in Christian's bed, Ana tries to prepare dinner, but the man gets handsy once more with her. She soon finds herself spread across the kitchen island and getting pummeled repeatedly from behind. When they finish, Ana barely holds it together, but manages to complete their delicious dinner – pan-seared steak accompanied with roasted Brussel sprouts and paired with a Shiraz. The chef was indeed kissed the moment Christian's plate was cleared.

After dinner, the two watch an old classic movie in his entertainment room. Later, the movie began watching them. Robes fly off and Ana ends up right in Christian's lap. She rides him like a steed.

The night came to a close in the bedroom. The two freshen up in the ensuite, and then Christian puts a bow on the evening in bed by paying homage to Ana's body. He begins by massaging her from shoulder to toe with a rich lavender oil. That leads to him kissing her, which leads to pleasuring her sex with his mouth and bringing her to orgasm twice. He then makes love to her until she passes out.

Three hours later, Ana is gazing at the man peacefully sleeping beside her as she'd done the night before. His beautiful moonlit face causes her emotions to well up. _He's too good to be true. There has to be something wrong with him. No one is this perfect._ Tomorrow, she will face reality after leaving their cocoon of _non-stop lovin'_. Ana's definitely not looking forward to leaving this place _or_ him, but she knows that this will be the true test.

 _Will_ _ **this**_ _even work?_

Ana anticipates how messy things will get once the world finds out that she's now sleeping with Elliot's brother. Although Elliot was the one at fault for the collapse of their relationship, Ana believes that others will feel more resentful towards her than him. _The only person who'll be happy for Christian and me is Grace_ , she reflects. Ana is afraid to tell her own parents because she knows that they won't be keen on the idea of her _keeping it in the family_.

 _What about the people at work? I know they'll have something to say, even if it's not directly to my face._

Ana figures that she'll have the support of friends such as Tammy – who'll be on cloud nine because Ana is with Tammy's _fantasy guy_ , and Isa. The guys, Noah and Doren are wildcards. José, who used to work with them, is also included in that category. Ana suspects that the boys will consider Christian a traitor for violating the universal _'bros before hoes'_ code.

 _But if they truly knew Elliot, they wouldn't feel sorry for him. He has zero loyalty and wouldn't blink before stabbing each of them in the back. Elliot Grey would screw their girlfriends and their sisters._ _ **And**_ _if their moms were MILFs, he'd go to pound town with them as well._

 _Stupid, stupid Elliot._

Ana's eyes admire the shape and form of the antithesis of her ex and her heart burns. She can't wrap her head around all of the promises that Christian has made to her over the entire weekend. And at the same time, this man claims to have given up BDSM two years ago when he decided that he wanted _her_.

 _I don't believe it. I bet that sex room is still somewhere in this house – tucked away and locked._

Beyond restless, Ana carefully slips out of bed and retrieves her robe from the floor.

 _I need to find that sex dungeon._

After taking one final look at the sleeping prince, she turns on her heel and carefully slips out of the bedroom.

…

Even after two nights here, the gloriousness of Christian Grey's palace in the sky doesn't cease to overwhelm Ana. Now after midnight, the great room's only light is provided by receding flood lamps in the high ceiling, joined with the moonbeams shimmering over the Seattle skyline. Christian's home is quite beautiful but rather clinical. It exudes such majesty as the Pompidou, but like the Parisian museum, it doesn't possess the attributes of a true _home_. And like a high-end museum, the penthouse is adorned with complex sculptures on pedestals and hanging artwork on the walls.

 _This place needs a woman's touch._

Ana thinks about what she would do if she were indeed the lady of _Castle Grey_. Earlier she took notice of the flowers in the foyer, dining room, and kitchen area as well as the plants scattered throughout both floors of the penthouse. Still, she can't help but envision Christian's space with much more brighter colors.

 _Everything here is muted and way too masculine._

 _But it's a bachelor pad fit for a king._

 _Wait a minute – is Christian a permanent bachelor… like his brother?_

Ana pushes the nauseating thought aside. She pads over to the black spotless, polished grand piano and carefully lifts the fallboard. Her fingers softly tickle the keys, emitting a soft twinkling sound. _He says he plays_ , she recalls from a past conversation. _I'd love to hear him play one day._ She re-covers the keys and slowly makes her way towards the sliding glass doors leading out to the balcony. Her eyes catch a glimpse of the adjacent door on the other side. She knows from her earlier tour that it leads to the pool area.

 _That sex room must be upstairs_ , she thinks, but gravity is urging her to see the pool. _Hell, why not._ She pulls the handle to the left and the door slides open. Paranoid, she looks behind before stepping inside.

…

The moonlight dances through walls of glass, while the illuminated clear blue water appears to glow like magic. The lighted nearby bubbling hot tub causes Ana to wonder if someone forgot to turn it off as well as the pool lights. She glances to the left and takes note of the dimmer, which she bypasses before starting around the pool. _It's already lit here well enough._ As she slowly pads over the cool tiles, she catches another glimpse of the sleeping city before looking up at the lodge-style wood beam ceiling. Her eyes then meet the doors to the towel room and sauna just ahead of her before taking in the lounging area. _Even the pool furniture looks expensive_ , she thinks. As she turns the corner, she sees the fully stocked wet bar.

 _This is way too much._

She realizes that it's not until she's away from Christian that she's bowled over by his public persona. _Christian Grey: Seattle's Richest Man._ _He's just so…_ _grandiose._ But when Ana's alone with him, his world doesn't seem as unreachable. He's actually _very_ grounded. When it's just the two of them, nothing else exists.

 _Too bad we're not the only people in the world.  
It would make life a whole lot easier._

Ana can't help but think that he's much too humble to be constantly reminded about his riches. It's a no-brainer that her being overwhelmed by it all would certainly put him off. Although he may not intentionally flaunt wealth, there's just too much of it to be ignored. This man literally generates cash in his sleep. He owns land and businesses all around the globe. This is a world that Ana knows nothing about.

 _I don't fit into that world._

It dawns on Ana that she's no longer mulling over what others might think of her new _relationship_ with her ex's brother. No, her never-ceasing thoughts have now carried her through the door of self-doubt.

 _What will Christian think of me tomorrow or next week?_

 _Am I even enough for him?_

She tries to shake the nagging thought. _Ana, you're being way too hard on yourself as usual. He obviously wants you, or you wouldn't be here._ She suddenly stops walking and dips her toe into the pool. She expected it to be cool, but it's surprisingly warm. _Temperature controlled, obviously._ She unravels her robe and lets it fall to the floor before stooping down. When she's seated on the ledge and her legs are immersed in the warm water, she suddenly leaps forward and kicks into a swim.

Her chest had constricted from earlier painful thoughts, but an instant calmness comes over her. As she begins to mull over the past two nights, a warm blanket begins to envelop her emotions, strangling that spark of fear and insecurity that once lingered. She doesn't know exactly why she feels reinvigorated all of a sudden, but she does. Although Elliot has hurt her badly, she could never imagine Christian doing the same. Christian was forthright about his checkered past from the very start.

 _It's wild that this beautiful, marvelous man has felt all of these things about me, even while I was in a relationship with his brother._

Just then, she envisages Christian's arms wrapped around her so tight that it's a challenge to escape even if she wanted to. Each time he's held her in his arms, it has been a sure sign of his recent promise to always protect her – both physically and emotionally. The very thought causes her to miss him even though they're presently in the same house.

The moment Ana reaches the end of the pool, she pulls herself up to take a breather. A sound suddenly startles her. Her sight is foggy from the chlorine treated waters when she turns to scan the far end of the pool. She registers a shadowy figure, and for a flash, she thinks that it's fatigue finally setting in. _Perhaps I'm imagining things._ She rubs her eyes until the image becomes clearer. Soon, her sight eventually registers that it's Christian in a robe, who's now smirking at her. Her heart jumps.

 _Busted._

"There you are. I didn't take you for a twilight swimmer," his voice echoes. "You skinny-dip often, Miss. Steele?

Now embarrassed, Ana ensures that her goods are completely submerged under water before turning sideways to obscure as much from him as possible. "No… I saw your pool and decided to dip my toe in, and it felt very nice. It's beautiful here."

His smirk broadens and screams both _naughty_ and _sweet_ at the same time. "My pool never looked so beautiful until now." He suddenly drops his robe and Ana's eyes widen at the sight of _pure man_ now fully exposed right before her very eyes. Although he's semi-erect, his length remains beyond impressive. Ana tries her best to keep calm, but even the warmth of the water doesn't prevent her from involuntarily shaking.

 _Holy cow, and there's not a single ounce of fat on his entire body._

"Mind if I join you?" his echoing voice croons.

Ana shrugs her shoulders. "It's your pool." Her outer appearance is now nonchalant, but her heart rate is anything _but_. Her eyes admire his muscular frame and the artful way that it flexes as he begins to descend into the pool. He moves as if he's a god preparing to walk across the water to get to her. But instead, he leaps forward into a swim just like Ana did earlier. Still, even the way he swims is godlike.

 _Holy shit_ , Ana sighs as he glides across the pool like a trained Olympian. Each muscle and sinew tilt and tighten as he strokes. He looks just as artful and native in water as he does on land. Ana's mind instantly flashes back to his massive bedroom and she imagines a view of his body from the high ceiling, tilting and tightening as he moves masterfully on top of her. She quakes at the very thought.

Instinctively, she pushes further into the tile, wedging a hand in between her bare buttocks and the wall. Christian stops swimming just short of her and rises from the water. He whips his head back and his copper hair sprays a storm before he slicks it backward to tame it. Ana can't help but think that he's priceless art in motion. _Every little thing this man does is perfect._ Now, she wants nothing more than for him to touch her. But the second he inches closer Ana's nerves go haywire.

 _Why am I so damned nervous around this man?  
He's already done so many things to my body throughout the weekend._

"So, you like to swim, huh?" he says, still wearing that heart-stopping smirk Ana saw earlier from across the pool. Unable to speak, Ana just nods. "And you say you never skinny-dipped?" She shakes her head while pressing her back further into the wall. His smirk broadens even more as he treads closer. "I never took you for being so shy, Miss Steele." He's nearly a sliver away, but he doesn't touch her – yet, Ana can feel his energy in waves against her skin. She can barely breathe.

"I've always been a little shy," she speaks finally, but in a whisper.

"Not like this." The bass in his voice reverberates through the water and shoots to her ribs, further exacerbating her state of stage fright. "Do I make you shy?" Ana's eyes briefly go down to the water in between them. When she looks back up at him, her bottom lip is caught in her teeth. She nods adamantly in response. Christian groans before reaching forward to touch her chin. Skillfully, he frees her lip. "Don't be shy, baby. I want you to always be free when you're with me."

When his hand leaves her, Ana longs for his touch again. She's tempted to bite her lip once more to taunt him. Instead, she stares deep into his inviting gray eyes. Her shallow breathing transitions into heavy breathing. As it does, Christian's eyes travel down to the droplets of water trickling down her now exposed breasts. He then looks back at her face. She flashes him a telling look. _I saw you staring at my boobs, Mr. Grey._ She soon remembers all of the naughty things he's done to them _and_ her since Friday. Ana suddenly feels her skin starting to boil. Just as Christian closes in to kiss her, Ana immediately plunges down into the water, taking him by surprise. She quickly maneuvers around him and swims away. Amused, he chuckles before plunging down to swim after her.

While others may praise Christian's many gifts, he will downplay a lot of them. For one, he's extremely gifted on the piano. While those who've had the honor of hearing him play have often encouraged him to do so in public, Christian would argue that he only does well enough to get by. He also wrestled in high school and won medals in local and state competitions, but he didn't feel that he excelled enough to continue the sport in college. He still enjoys sparring on the mat, but these days it's for a kickboxing workout with his personal trainer.

And Christian was never on the swim team, but he knew that he could swim well enough to not drown. But tonight, he assumed that he was at least quicker than the beauty who just swam away from him. So, he intentionally remained lax in his stroke, allowing Ana to gain a sizable lead. But when he looked up mid-swim to see how far she'd gone, he was taken aback. He decides to push just a bit more in hopes of closing the gap. Unfortunately, Ana only seems to be getting further and further away from him.

The chase goes on for some time with Ana blazing a trail far ahead, and Christian pushing harder to close the chasm between them. Fatigue finally sets in for Ana, and she can sense him gaining on her. Excitement rushes in. She knows that if she makes just one slip, she's toast. Winded, Ana reaches the wall and she tries to quickly turn around to lap again, but Christian grabs her by the ankle. He pulls her down into the water.

Shocked, Ana opens her eyes and she sees Christian underwater with her. In slow motion, he wraps his arms around her waist and pulls her naked body taut to his. Soon, his mouth engulfs hers and she closes her eyes. Being breathless in this moment definitely comes in handy underwater. _I'd be happy if we could stay down here in the quiet and never come back up to face the noise of the world,_ Ana reflects.

Too soon, Christian is pulling her back to the surface and guiding her towards the shallow end of the pool. Before Ana can slip away again, he wedges her against the wall.

Her panting is cut short when he takes her mouth again. Their kiss heats up to the point of them no longer needing temperature control in the pool. With his now full erection pressing against her stomach, Ana ignites, and her hands go up to tug his hair. Meanwhile, his hands shelter her back from the harshness of the wall. Ana's hands now slide in between them, caressing the light trail of hair down his chest as they go. He stops kissing her and looks down at her with gray eyes radiating both fire and fear.

"Why did you swim away from me?" he pants.

" _I_ – I wanted you to catch me," she wheezes, unable to manage a chuckle.

He takes in a big gulp of air, stinging his lungs.

"I'll always catch you, Anastasia," he gasps. "I _love_ you."

Ana's world suddenly stops, and then spins again in the opposite direction, causing her to lose equilibrium. Christian holds her steady.

 _He_ _ **loves**_ _me – he says again.  
How could he feel this way about little ol' me?_

"I never want you to run away from me. Period," he declares.

Ana nods with determination. "I won't," she breathes, before snaking her arms around Christian's neck and slamming her mouth against his, kissing him hard. He presses his naked body into hers even more. They completely melt into one other, tasting the other's thirst and unadulterated need. After a few beats, the man can no longer contain himself.

And neither can she. Ana frees her mouth from his and gasps for air. Her gaze is an inferno. "I want you to fuck me."

His eyes gape wide. " _Here_? In the pool?"

She nods – desperately. " _Yes_. Here. Now."

Without another word, Christian swiftly lifts her thighs and guides her legs around his waist. Ana gasps before clinching her eyes shut.

"Look at me, baby," he commands in a smoky voice. "I want to see you take this ride."

The moment she reopens her eyes, he slides into her.

 _"_ _Ah…"_

He starts slow, before shifting into fast and hard. Ana's moans and cries begin echoing all around them.

* * *

 ** _(THE PAST – 24 months ago)_**

"I don't understand," Ana says, on the verge of tears. "Help me understand."

Elliot rushed to her apartment the moment he heard the panic in her voice over the phone. Now carefully guiding them both down on the sofa, he doesn't take his eyes off her.

"I knew that this would get back to you soon enough."

Ana gapes at him.

 _Really? Is that all you have to say?  
That court document said some pretty damning things about you._

 _Or at least 'implied' them._

"I _really_ wanted to tell you all about it the second that we got together, but I knew it wouldn't've lined up with what that fucker John Marsh said in court – which were all lies, by the way. I figured your files at work would get updated, and we'd finally be having this very conversation at some point."

Although Elliot looks beyond calm.  
Ana is flabbergasted.

 _What in the double-talk is he trying to pull?  
Is he really trying to 'Bugs Bunny' me?  
Is this fucking duck season or rabbit season?_

"Those court documents said that Marsh wanted revenge for you sleeping with his girlfriend," Ana says slowly so that he can hear her loud and clear. _I want to hear about_ _ **that**_ _, Elliot Grey, and not some doublespeak bullshit._ Elliot begins rubbing her thigh to calm her down.

"Listen to me, babe – I'm trying to tell you that Marsh fucking _lied_. He lied under oath in a court of law."

"Alright… So, say _that_ ," Ana utters through a clenched jaw. "In fact, you should've said that back when we first started dating."

"But I didn't expect him to _lie_! Look, you're not understanding…"

"So, _help me_ understand," she snaps.

"I'm _trying_ here," he sighs, now frustrated. "Look – I didn't tell you because I knew that screwball investigation was going to contradict the truth. First of all, Marsh's uncle works for the police department. But more importantly than all of that, this took place _way_ _before_ us. And you know how much I hate bringing up old shit."

Ana frowns. "But that _old shit_ led to us actually meeting and getting together, and therefore is completely relevant for discussion in our current relationship."

"And babe, I totally see your point. But what you're not getting is that all of this drama took place _pre_ -Ellistasia."

Ana cringes upon hearing Elliot's self-imposed uni-name for their coupledom but quickly disregards it. She's fully aware that her boyfriend often results to humor whenever he wants to avoid important discussions. He doesn't let him distract her.

"I feel that you're just feeding me lines of bullshit, and thereby skating around the truth."

"How could you say that, Ana?" he says, now affronted. "You don't believe me? I have nothing to hide, darlin'. I've _always_ been open and honest with you."

" _Pft_ , you could've fooled me."

He sighs, defeated. "What do you want to know. Just ask me. Ask me anything."

Ana takes in a calming breath, but it's useless.

"Tell me about John Marsh and why he thinks you slept with his girlfriend."

Elliot proceeds to tell Ana that he and Steve were bffs with Marsh. Marsh apparently has a history of being a shitty boyfriend. Him and his girlfriend, who's nameless in Elliot's retelling, were off and on for many years. Marsh used to hang with Elliot, Steve and crew, so the girlfriend was always around.

After a while, when Marsh stopped showing up at the bar, the girlfriend would pop up solo. Eventually, she'd began confiding in Elliot about her tumultuous relationship with Marsh, so he began to offer her advice.

"I was only an ear to listen," Elliot says to Ana with sincerity. "And she took advantage of that."

Ana's brow furrows. "Like how?"

"She started to develop feelings for me. That's when I pulled back. She didn't like that. So, to spite me, she decided to lie to Marsh about us sleeping together. Everyone who hung around us knew that what she said wasn't true. If the crew wasn't working or running our own businesses, we were always together! When would she and I even have time to do that without our close group of friends knowing?"

Narrowing her eyes, Ana says, "Well Elliot, it's simple. Instead of going home alone after hanging out, _she_ goes home with you."

"But that's not what happened," he says quickly. "Everyone in the group knew that she lied." He sighs. "I wished I knew ahead of time that she was a psycho bitch before I let her confide in me."

Ana's taken aback. She's never heard him refer to a woman in that way. _Maybe she got too clingy. I can see that happening_ , Ana thinks to herself.

"So – after she lied to Marsh about us having sex, he storms into the bar with his goons and confronts me in front of our friends. I told him that it _never_ happened. Marsh didn't believe me, and he was already drunk, so he charged at me. My friends intervened and broke up the fight, and Marsh was ejected from the bar. His pride was broken from that moment on," Elliot says with a trace of a smirk.

Ana is completely wrapped up in her guy's explanation. It also helps that what he says lines up with a portion of what she read about the court hearing.

"My lawyers want me to sue him for extortion," Elliot adds. Ana gasps. "Yep," he nods. "Marsh tried that angle, too. He wanted to hurt me any way he could because he was embarrassed in front of all our friends. He figured it would be easy since I come from a prominent family and I'm a business owner in my own right."

"Extortion? Extortion for what?" Ana gapes at him. "What does he have on you?"

"Exactly. He has nothing. So, after Marsh got kicked out of the bar, I thought that was the end. It had been months since Steve, or I had heard from him. I never expected him to have anything to do about vandalizing my fleet. Oh, by the way, Marsh's girl was at the hearing. They're back together. They're toxic and deserve each other. He ended up pleading guilty a week later and has to pay a hefty fine."

"I saw that in the document."

He nods. "I can guarantee his gold digger girlfriend won't be hanging around for long once the court empties out his wallet."

"Damn, Grey," Ana says, shaking her head. "That's quite the mess you were in."

Elliot wraps his arm around his girl. "If I haven't learned anything else in all of this, I learned to never help a woman in distress – unless of course, it's you or my mother." He pecks Ana on the mouth.

Ana chuckles. "What about Grandma Trevelyan?"

He sighs. "That little ol' lady's a firecracker. I'd actually feel for the person who'd ever think about crossing her. She'd hand them their ass."

"Yep, you're right about that," Ana smiles. "So, the moral of the story is not only to be cautious about helping a woman in distress but to always be forthright with your girlfriend from the very beginning."

He nods in relief. "I can do that." He kisses Ana again.

 _You should've been doing that already_ , Ana thinks, but she keeps her thought to herself.

"You know, my general manager probably thinks that my boyfriend has a habit of sleeping with other guys' girlfriends. That whole backstory would've been good for me to know ahead of time, so I could have defended you."

Elliot kisses her again. "Babe, I don't need defending. You know that I don't give a shit what others think about me. I only care what _you_ think. I'm sorry for not telling you sooner." They kiss.

"You know I would've shown up at the hearing," she murmurs.

"Yes," he nods, "I know. You're so good to me." He pulls her further into him and they kiss once more. Suddenly, Ana pulls back and puts an index finger to his lips.

"If there's anything else in your past that may unearth, speak now or forever hold your peace," she says with humor.

His gaze is now narrow and heated. "You have nothing to worry about. My past is my past. _You_ are my present _and_ my future."

Ana's arm drops and soon they lose all track of time in one another.

...

 ** _(Two days later)_**

After work, Ana meets Grace at knitting class. Ana's nearly finished with Elliot's scarf, while Grace decides to scrap her previous project. Dr. Trevelyan Grey begins working on a dual color afghan using the same rich royal blue yarn as Ana, as well as white.

"That's going to be so pretty," Ana gushes.

"Thank you. I'm getting so much better at this," Grace laughs.

"You are."

"So," Ana transitions, "did Christian end up enjoying his surprise party?"

Grace lights up. "He did. I was shocked. I'm glad I stuck with it, even after Elliot and Carrick told me not to do it. Everyone there seemed to have had a good time."

"It really was fun," Ana agrees.

"I'm glad," Grace shines.

"Any luck with your replacement for Gretchen? I know that the party served as an audition."

"I'm actually looking into hiring a male housekeeper for the first time."

"Really?" Ana says, intrigued.

"He's single and in his fifties with no children. A Navy veteran with a very impressive resume."

Ana perks up. "I remember seeing him Saturday. He was great."

Grace nods. "Yes, he's very good. I really liked him. Maybe I'll have him cook for us Sunday before making my final decision. It's between him and a young lady – an au pair who worked for a good friend of mine."

"If you're looking for someone who'll be with you long term, you might fare better with the older gentleman. Young ladies do tend to move around a lot."

"I thought about that," Grace says, appearing to revisit the scenario in her head. "But I think the idea of having a man close to our age working around the house doesn't quite sit well with Carrick."

Ana pauses mid-knit and brandishes a shocked smile. "Is Carrick jealous?"

Grace shrugs. "I'm not one hundred percent sure, but I do know my husband. When he first told me that he had reservations about hiring that gentleman, I knew that it didn't have to do with his gender. It's definitely not a macho thing for Carrick. He's all about men in roles traditionally held by women, and vice versa. He used to be a civil rights attorney for crying out loud."

"Alright – so he's not against a _man_ working around the house. But you have to admit, this guy in particular is rather good looking," Ana says with a scandalous smile.

Grace scrunches up her face. "You really think so?"

Ana purses her lip. "Come on. You're telling me that you didn't notice?"

"Well," Grace blushes.

Ana laughs out loud. "Exactly! But why would Carrick be jealous of him?"

Grace sighs. "Heck if I know."

"I just think that's the cutest thing," Ana practically swoons. "He still gets jealous over you after all these years."

"It's silly," Grace hisses.

"No, it's romantic."

…

 ** _(The next day)_**

Ana and friends gather for their weekly happy hour ritual. Kate was able to make it this time around, along with José and Maria. Also, Ana's Mylegent besties are all in attendance: Tammy, Isa, Doren, and Noah. Seated at two high-top tables joined together, the constant laughter certainly makes them one of the liveliest parties present at the Mexican restaurant.

"Yo – can I get another margarita?" Kate gestures at the waiter. "She'll take one, too," she adds, pointing towards Ana's glass, which is still a quarter full.

"No, I won't," Ana responds.

"Happy hour prices, girl. You'd better get it before it's gone," Tammy sitting next to her reminds her.

"My treat," Kate says. "Two more," she repeats to the waiter.

"Sure thing," the waiter responds.

Doren checks his watch, "Ten minutes left for happy hour, guys. I'll take two more." Ana gapes at him.

"I'll do the same," says Noah.

"Four," adds José. Maria looks at him and laughs.

"Damn, you guys are cheap," Isa laughs. "I guess I'll take one more."

"It's happy hour, girl," Doren sings.

"I'll take one," Tammy says. The waiter gives them all the thumbs up and sets off.

"So," José starts, taking his girlfriend by the hand, "we've decided to move in together."

"Oh my God!" Ana excites. "That's great!"

" _Finally_ ," Kate laughs. "Congratulations!"

The others add their well wishes.

"We've been together for well over a year, so we've decided to take the leap," José smirks.

"Get ready to throw all of your shit away, man," warns Doren.

"Truth," Noah agrees. "My girl told me when we first moved in together that I either had to sell a bulk of my stuff or put it in storage."

"It's all good," laughs José. "I don't have that much stuff anyway. Only thing in the kitchen that I'm bringing is my toaster oven."

"Um," Maria says, chewing on her lip, "about that…"

Laughter erupts and José appears to be blindsided. "Oh no, not my toaster. That's the only appliance I'm bringing, for Christ sake… besides my TV."

"That toaster is rusty and old," frowns Maria.

"Dude, I told you," Doren smirks.

"This discussion isn't over," José murmurs lovingly to his girlfriend before kissing her on the cheek.

"Yeah, it is," Noah teases from the sideline, causing the others to laugh.

"So, Steele," José says, turning the attention over to Ana who's seated across from him. "When are you and Grey moving in together?"

Ana's taken aback by the sudden question as all eyes eagerly await her response. "Elliot is a slob," she says with a frown.

"Yep – sure is," Kate echoes her roommate's sentiment.

"And besides," Ana adds, "we enjoy our space when we're not together."

"All men are messy," Tammy argues.

"Not true," Doren objects, holding up a nacho. "I am a neat freak."

Not taking her eyes off Ana, Tammy ignores the remark. "What happens if you get married?" she smirks.

"Well, we'd probably get a sizable home, and we'd hire someone to clean," Ana says jokingly. _Marry Elliot? We haven't been a couple long enough to even think about marriage._

"Is Elliot as messy at home as he is at your place?" Isa asks.

It finally dawns on Ana. "You know, I really haven't been over to his place. Well, except the time I went there to retrieve a package for him at the front desk. But I've never gone inside his apartment."

Almost everyone gapes at her.

"You've gotta be kidding me…"

"Goodness, Ana…"

"Are you serious?"

Ana sighs at her friends. "He's always at my place, anyway."

"Exactly," Kate backs her up.

"He even has his own drawer as well as space in my bedroom closet," Ana adds.

Tammy shakes her head. "Ana, Ana, Ana… You need to know where your man lives."

"I _know_ where he lives," Ana volleys.

"Let me rephrase that: You should have a _key_ to his place," Tammy counters.

"Oh, hell no," Doren says. "No, she should _not_ have a key. That is _his_ house!"

"What!" Tammy snaps.

"Yes, she should!" Isa adds, matching Tammy's passion.

"I have a key to Keenan's place," Kate shrugs.

Ana's head goes back and forth as if she's watching a tennis match, but instead her friends are commenting on her love life. It's unsettling to her.

"But Elliot has a key to _her_ place!" Tammy adds.

"Well, that was her prerogative," Doren shrugs.

" _People_ – I'm right here," Ana sighs, rolling her eyes.

Noah looks at her. "If he has nothing to hide, then it wouldn't be a problem for you to have a key to his place."

" _What_! Come on, Noah!" Doren confronts his best work friend. "You know we men deserve to have our own personal space that our girls can't get to." Some of the girls at the table hiss at him.

"Pig!" Isa bites.

"I agree with Noah," José says. He faces Ana. "You need to ask him for a key. He shouldn't have anything to hide from you." Now Ana appears to be torn.

"This is some bullshit," grumbles Doren.

"Shut up, Doren," Tammy groans.

"I really don't think it's necessary for me to have a key to his place," Ana finally says, "but I'll ask anyway."

"Please do," Tammy says. "He has a key to your place. It's only fair that you have a key to his."

…

 ** _(The next day)_**

Ana's stuck in gridlock traffic on her way home for the weekend when her mother calls.

"Hey, Mom."

"Hi, sweetie. How did work go today?"

"Pretty good."

Carla pauses. "Are you sure? You don't sound like your usual chipper self."

Ana sighs.

"Come on. Let it out. Tell your mama."

"It's… It's nothing."

"You can't fool me. I gave birth to you and raised you, so you can't pull the wool over my eyes. Tell me what's bothering you."

Ana takes a deep breath. "Do you think that a couple whose only been together for four months should have a key to each other's places?"

"Hmm," Carla contemplates. "Well, it depends. What's the issue? Will Elliot not give you his key?"

"I asked him last night and he didn't seem too keen about the idea, even though he has a key to my apartment."

"Hmm," Carla hums once more. "What did he say when you asked?"

"At first, he kinda changed the subject. Then when I brought it back up, he said that he'd think about it."

"Hmm…"

"What's with all the ' _hmms'_?" Ana frowns.

"Part of me thinks that four months is not a very long time to expect a key."

"Well, we did move quite fast after our first date," Ana considers. "He started spending the weekends at my place shortly after that, hence why he has my key."

"But that was your call."

"It was," Ana agrees.

"Which is why it might not be fair for you to expect him to reciprocate."

"I agree."

"So, what's the problem?"

Ana inhales deeply. "I can't help thinking that he's hiding something."

Carla sighs. "That's not good you feel that way. Have you talked to him about it?"

Ana considers her mother's question for a beat. "I told him that we shouldn't keep things from each other."

"Well, okay then. You laid down the law. If he cares about you, he wouldn't violate your trust."

"You're right."

Although Ana says the words, it doesn't relieve the pressure in her chest. She still feels rather uneasy.

…

Saturday afternoon, Elliot takes Ana to a Mexican restaurant located not too far from her apartment.

"You sure you're good eating here?" he asks. "I know you just had Mexican on Thursday."

"No – it's fine. I love it. I could eat Mexican every day of the week," Ana smiles.

The couple is seated at a booth, and a waitress greets them soon after.

"Buenas tardes."

"Hi," Ana smiles.

"Hello," says Elliot.

"Welcome! I'm your server this afternoon. What would you like to drink?" The attractive brunette speaks English well, but it's obvious to Ana that she is still working very hard to perfect it.

Elliot all of sudden starts speaking to the waitress in Spanish, and the girl lights up. She then responds to him in Spanish. Ana grins at the two of them.

"You want something else besides water?" Elliot turns to Ana.

"A margarita?" Ana says with a hopeful smile.

"Nice try, buttercup. There's no happy hour on Saturdays, I'm afraid," Elliot smirks.

"Fine," Ana sighs. "I'll just have water."

He then turns to the waitress and says something else in Spanish. The girl's smile brightens the room again before she responds. She then takes off.

Humored, Ana narrows her eyes at her boyfriend. "Geez, it certainly takes a whole lotta words in Spanish just to say _ice water_."

He smiles. "Well, I also asked her for chips and salsa."

"Oh," Ana laughs. "That'll work. I'm starving."

Ana had known about Elliot's ability to speak Spanish fluently. It was something that Grace harped on. Ana understood how important culture and the arts were to Dr. Trevelyan Grey, and she reared her children in those things. While Elliot studied Spanish and played the guitar, his younger brother studied French and played the piano. Elliot mentioned to Ana that knowing two languages definitely comes in handy in his business. And when Grace recently told Ana in conversation that she wished Elliot stuck with his instrument, Ana deduced that Christian was still probably playing _his_.

But before today, Ana had never heard Elliot speak Spanish. _Very impressive_ , Ana thinks with a secret smile.

"What's so funny?" Elliot smirks.

"Nothing," she shrugs, quickly composing herself.

"You don't speak Spanish, do you?"

Ana snorts. "Not one lick."

"I'll teach you one day. Not only can your man speak Spanish, but he has so many other cool talents that you have no idea about," he brags not so humbly.

"Really? Well, I'd like to know them all," Ana murmurs with a splash of seduction. Elliot maintains his humorous charm.

"Not all at once, my dear. You couldn't handle it. That's why I need to unveil all my goodies one at a time," he winks before taking a sip of water.

Ana laughs. "Your _goodies_ , huh?"

"Mm-hmm," he hums as he swallows.

…

The waitress makes frequent stops at the table and chats it up with Elliot in her native tongue. By the fifth visit, Ana starts to feel uneasy, but she reminds himself, _this is Elliot. He's always been friendly to strangers._ Ana turns from her fajita and witnesses the waitress laugh out loud at something Elliot said to her in Spanish. Having no idea what he just said, Ana chuckles anyway in order to not feel left out. _He's a jokester_ , she resolves.

But Ana can't help to think it's quite rude that this woman started off speaking in perfect English and hasn't spoken a word of it since. In fact, Ana doesn't recall the waitress even looking at her since finding out that Elliot spoke Spanish. Now Ana looks at the woman sideways, wondering how long she's going to prolong running Elliot's credit card and retrieving the takeout box for the rest of Ana's fajita.

Ana practically burns a hole through the side of the woman's face with her glare, but the waitress still laughs while chatting along with Elliot. Ana turns to her boyfriend and he's equally as engaged as the two talk in rapid speed. Ana finally reaches her breaking point.

"Excuse me," Ana huffs, purposely kicking Elliot's bare calf under the table as she slides out of the booth.

"Ow!" he groans.

…

"What was that all about?" Elliot chuckles as Ana treads a sizable distance ahead of him in the parking lot. She reaches the passenger side of Elliot's truck before he does, but he doesn't unlock the door until he catches up to her. He opens the door for her, but she doesn't so much as glance at him as she climbs in. Elliot glides over to the driver's side. When the door slams again, he leans into her from the driver's seat, practically boxing her into a corner.

"Ana…"

She turns to him, fuming. "That was incredibly rude."

He winces, seemingly blindsided. "What are you talking about?"

"Don't you dare act like you had no idea what the two of you were doing back there."

He scoffs. "What, me being friendly to our waitress? What makes this different than any other time we've gone out?"

"The both of you also speak _English_ ," Ana cuts to the point. She angrily folds her arms.

"She didn't speak English very well," Elliot says softly. "Once I figured that out, I decided to talk to her in Spanish."

"Do her eyes work?" she hisses.

"Huh?" he squints, confused.

"Do. Her. Eyes. Work? Because evidently, she couldn't turn her head to look at me for the rest of the afternoon."

Ana nearly boils over the moment Elliot laughs.

"Stop it, Ana. You know that's not true."

"It is!"

He sighs. "Look, she said that she was having a really bad day until she heard me speak Spanish back to her."

"Oh – _poor her_ ," Ana mocks, rolling her eyes.

"She'd just visited her mother before her shift, who's in the hospital. Meanwhile, she has to look after her father, who's disabled."

"She said all of that?" Ana says with pursed lips.

Elliot nods. "Yeah. She also told me that she was picking up extra shifts in order to help out her family during this difficult time. So, I decided to cheer her up by telling her a few jokes in Spanish."

Ana sighs; her anger slowly letting up. But it doesn't stop the nauseating feeling of seeing Elliot laughing and carrying on with another woman right in her face. He suddenly reaches out and caresses her chin.

"Babe, there's no need for you to be jealous. You already have the prize."

Once again, Ana rolls her eyes. "Get over yourself and start the damn car already."

He laughs and surprises her by stealing a quick kiss before turning on the ignition.

…

 ** _(The next day)_**

"Well, well… Look who's here," Elliot smirks in amusement before slapping hands with Christian.

The moment Ana sees Elliot's younger brother in the main room of Grace and Carrick's house, she does a double take. Christian is donning khaki trousers, denim washed button-up shirt with rolled-up sleeves, and black leather loafers with no socks. To Ana, Christian looks more like a graduate-level business school student rather than the CEO of a multi-billion-dollar global empire. _Although he looks the part of an exceptionally well-dressed graduate student_ , Ana considers.

Standing behind her boyfriend, Ana smiles. But once Christian looks at her, an unexplainable nervousness rushes in. "Hi," she manages to push out.

"Ana," Christian greets.

 _Gosh, he even makes my name sound good_ , she immediately thinks.

"Isn't it great?" Grace gushes to Ana, snatching her out of her wild thoughts. "I have _both_ my sons at home for Sunday dinner."

"It's long overdue, son," Carrick says before carefully patting Christian on the arm. Ana's thrown off by the usually normal gesture. _Carrick pats Elliot's back without the weirdness_ , she ponders. She files the thought away in her mental rolodex.

"I'm finally ahead of the curve at the office," the restrained mega-CEO responds.

"Good to hear," Carrick remarks.

"It's about time," Grace chimes.

"Mom, I hope you made enough dinner tonight. You know how much this guy eats," Elliot ribs. Christian gives him the side-eye.

"Oh, don't you worry. I know very well that _both_ of my boys can eat," Mrs. Grey says like a proud mom.

"Is there anything I can help you with?" Ana immediately volunteers.

"Well, there is one thing – the bouillabaisse. Follow me."

"Sure."

As Ana trails Grace, Christian's eyes follow. Ana's wearing skinny jeans and a multi-colored blouse. Without thinking, he appreciates what his eyes are seeing.

 _Goddamn._

Thankfully, Elliot's busy catching up with their father to notice his brother admiring the view of his girlfriend's ass. Christian quickly winces away and joins in on the sports talk.

…

"The T-Bird has seen better days," Carrick tells his sons.

"It could be something as simple as a fuse," Elliot suggests.

Carrick hums. "I thought about that, but I don't think that's it."

"Why don't you let me take a look at it?"

"Now?"

Elliot nods as he stands from his chair at the dining room table. His father follows suit.

Grace turns to Christian who's seated to her immediate right and then glances at Ana who's two chairs down on her left.

"How do you think Bernard did today during his trial?"

"He was… great," Ana responds, all smiles.

"Competent," Christian says, shrugging his shoulders.

"I disagree. He was on top of _everything_ ," counters Ana.

"I don't think you want to use that description for a man that my father's been shooting eye daggers at all evening."

Ana bursts out laughing.

"Christian!" Grace scolds. "Carrick was perfectly fine. He was _not_ giving Bernard the stink eye."

"You're telling me you didn't see that?" Christian asks. Ana's still laughing. " _You_ saw it," he now addresses Ana. She shrugs, unable to control her amusement.

"You two," Grace tsks. "That _never_ happened."

"Okay," Christian concedes. "Whatever you say."

His mother shakes her head. "Well, on that note, I'm going to help Bernard with the dishes." She stands.

"You sure that's wise?" teases Christian.

"Hush," Grace lovingly rolls her eyes. She starts gathering the dishes and Ana stands to help her. "No, you sit and finish your wine," she orders. She takes the plate away from her. "I've got it."

"You're sure?"

"Yes. Sit."

Ana obeys and Grace stacks the four remaining plates on the table together before starting towards the kitchen. Christian reaches for the wine bottle and tops off his glass. He gestures it over to Ana.

"I'm fine, thank you."

"You know, you weren't going to win that fight with her," Christian teases.

"Oh, I know," Ana laughs.

"And by the way, when I asked you for a lifeline, it would've been kind if you threw me one," he says with a smirk.

"What are you talking about?" Ana says with a chuckle.

"You saw how my father was looking at the guy, yet you chose to remain silent when I asked you to back me up."

Ana gapes at him with amusement. "Hey, I'm just a visitor. That was a family conversation."

"I think she considers you family."

The smile quickly fades from Ana's face, leaving a confounded expression.

Christian quickly changes the subject. "You work for Mylegent, right?"

"I do."

"That's how you met Elliot." It's not a question on his part, but a statement.

Ana nods. "Yes."

"So, you're a claims agent." Yet another statement. Ana now feels put on the spot.

"I'm sorry… Is that a problem?" she squints, unsure where he's getting at.

"No, no. Forgive me," he rues. "I'm simply making conversation. Getting to know you, is all."

Ana exhales a chuckle. "No – not a problem. Yes, I met Elliot through my work. I was the one who managed his vandalism claim."

He nods. "Are you still working in that department?"

"No, I was a claims agent when I met Elliot. I've been promoted to regional group manager since then."

He nods and shows a semblance of a smile. "Congratulations."

"Thank you," she replies. "So, your mom was telling me about these deals that you were making with Australia and… Taiwan, was it?"

"Thailand."

"That's right," Ana says as her recollection clicks for her.

"I already have a shipyard in Taiwan, and I've recently sealed deals in Melbourne and Bangkok."

 _Mm, Bangkok.  
Cut it out, Ana._

"Congratulations to you," Ana says to him in turn.

"Thanks," he nods. "It was something that many worked on around the clock, including myself."

Ana continues the inquisition and learns about other sectors of Christian's business, including his humanitarian efforts. She's astonished, and one question leads to another. Soon, Grace rejoins them. Carrick and Elliot return some time later.

…

 ** _(Ten months later)_**

"I'm stuffed," Tammy groans as she and her pals file out of the elevator and back to work. "Thanks for the birthday lunch, guys."

Isa, Doren, Noah, and Ana each tell her that she's welcome.

"Let's do that again… just because," Noah suggests.

"Sure. Next week?" Isa proposes.

Just before Tammy speaks up, a cluster of men in business casual attire begin filing out of the offices and into the reception area. One man in particular jumps out at Tammy like a bold-captioned headline.

"Oh my God, Ana!" she gasps, now tugging frantically at her friend's arm.

Ana gapes at her, annoyed. "What is it?"

"Look – isn't _that_ …"

Ana turns and she immediately sees Elliot's brother, Christian chatting with a couple of Mylegent bigwigs. In the next beat, Christian looks away from the men and meets eyes with Ana. He turns back to the group and kindly excuses himself.

"Lord Jesus, he's coming over _here_!" Tammy squeals quietly. Ana sighs at her overly-excited friend.

"Hey, I'll see you guys Thursday at the bar if I don't catch you before then," Ana says before stepping away from her lunch group to meet Christian halfway.

"Ana," Christian smiles before hugging her.

"Hey, you! What are you doing here?" she beams after they release.

"I just had a meeting with the president and his management team about the new driver safety initiative."

"SafeDriver?" Ana gapes. "That's _you_?"

He nods proudly. "My company developed the technology. It's all still hush-hush."

"I know," she says, wide-eyed. "I've been in meetings about it, but they wouldn't tell us who we'd be partnering with. I never would've guessed that it was GEH."

Christian smirks. "You know that technology is our specialty. Who else did you think it was?"

"Bosch? Honda?" she chuckles.

He shakes his head. "Those guys wouldn't have a clue how to customize their technologies to fall in line with where the insurance industry is headed. We're at the top of the game right now."

"Well _excuse me_ ," Ana teases.

"You're excused," he teases right back, and she laughs. "I was just headed out to eat. I'm going with a couple of Mylegent execs where we'll continue our earlier discussions. Did you just get back in from lunch?"

Ana nods. "We took my friend Tammy out for her birthday."

Christian narrows his eyes. "By _we_ , do you mean _them_ over there?"

Ana turns and sees that her friends are still in the lobby watching her chat with her boyfriend's brother.

"Oh my God – he's _looking at us_ ," Isa says after quickly turning to Tammy. The two of them quietly squeal like two high school girls with a mega crush, while Noah and Doren pretend like they don't know them.

Ana sighs. "That's them." She and Christian turn back to one another.

"So, are you going to be able to make it out to my boat with Elliot and my parents on Saturday?" he asks.

Ana gapes in shock. "Wow – that's _this_ Saturday?"

Christian nods in amusement. "Yes, Memorial Day weekend is coming up."

Ana sighs, "Man, where has the time gone?"

"I know," Christian commiserates. "The year is going by pretty fast."

"Mr. Grey – are you all set to go?" Don Richards, the Mylegent head honcho says. Ana's practically star struck. She has never seen Mr. Richard this up close and personal prior to now. Around his early sixties, Don Richards is a very busy man who travels a bunch and is rarely if ever seen in this building.

"Don, have you met Anastasia Steele?" Christian prefaces. Ana is stunned by the immediate introduction.

"No, but I've certainly heard of her," he smiles before extending his hand to Ana, which she takes. "You currently manage regional accounts, right?"

"Yes, sir," Ana answers with a nervous smile.

"I've heard great things," Richards adds. Ana is beyond surprised.

"Thank you, Mr. Richards."

"By the way, I'm absolutely terrible at keeping secrets. Between you and me, I hear that Bill Marsden has begun pitching your name for the next open director position."

Ana tries but can't hide her excitement. "Wow… _that's_ …"

"Miss Steele, whose very closely connected with my family, has risen up the ranks here at Mylegent in just a short period of time. She's an extremely hard worker."

"Christian," Ana sighs in embarrassment.

"It's true," Christian quickly says to her before turning his attention back to Mylegent's president. "And if you don't promote her to director very soon, GEH will be more than happy to better utilize her talents."

 _Oh my God – what is he doing?!_ Ana's virtually mortified.

"Don't you worry, Mr. Grey. I'm confident that our staff will do the right thing," Richards says before offering a handshake to Ana once more. "Anastasia, I'm fairly certain that I'll be seeing more of you in the very near future."

"Please call me Ana, Mr. Richards," she says, now giddy. "Thank you so much."

"Ready?" Richards asks Christian.

"Sure, just a moment," Christian says, excusing himself. With his hand on the small of Ana's back, he leads her approximately six feet away.

" _Um_ , what was that?" Ana laughs.

"Just a little push," he smirks. "You'd still get the promotion without my help."

"You are _so_ bad."

He shrugs his shoulders, playing innocent. "I'll see you on _The Grace_ this Saturday with my louse of a brother."

"See you then," Ana says, giggling at him before they part ways.

When Ana returns to Tammy and Isa, she realizes that there's a swarm of other women now spread throughout the lobby who were also admiring the visiting hunky billionaire that Ana was just speaking to. Ana nearly sprains her eyes balls from rolling them so hard.

"No offense to your Elliot, but Christian is _definitely_ our favorite Grey," Tammy declares. Ana shakes her head in grief.

…

Sunshine and clear blue skies surround Ana and fresh, crisp air whips through her face as they sail through The Sound. This is the first time that she's ever been on a luxury boat. _The Grace_ is Elliot's brother's six-berth catamaran, named in honor of the woman who literally saved the boys' lives. Although there are five people currently onboard, they won't be sleeping here tonight.

The weather is gorgeous, but it's not quite warm enough on these waters yet for shorts. Everyone is clothed in either jeans or slacks with a heavy sweater or a jacket.

Ana watches through the glass as Elliot and his parents chat inside the cabin. When she turns around, she catches Christian looking at her. She's nervous all of a sudden.

"Are you feeling okay? You don't get seasick, do you?" he smirks.

Ana shakes her head. "No. I'm fine. Just admiring your boat. It's beautiful."

"Thank you." He steps closer.

"So, who's driving it if you're not?" Ana chuckles.

"Right now, the wind. I turned the engines off. I thought we'd sail for a bit."

"Oh," Ana nods. He leans forward next to her on the banister. "Thanks again for inviting me."

"Sure," he shrugs as if it was a no-brainer for her to be here.

"I didn't know who all was coming. I almost expected to see Steve," Ana says in humor.

Christian frowns harshly. "How well do you know Steve?"

His eerie tone startles her. "Not very well. I know that he grew up with you two."

"I'd caution you to maintain your distance from him. I don't ever suggest inviting him over to your house for dinner."

Ana gapes at him. "Is he some sort of thief?"

He shakes his head. "No, but that would be much more honorable than what he truly is."

 _Holy crap!  
What is up with Steve?!_

"Is he some sort of… bad influence?" Ana wonders out loud.

"Not my place to say," Christian shrugs. "By the way, it was good seeing you at Mylegent the other day."

Ana winces at the speed in which he changes the subject.

"Yeah," she sighs.

"Do you think you'll do something else besides insurance?"

Ana ponders the question. "After graduating college, I wanted to get into publishing. But once I started working in claims, I knew that I enjoyed helping people the most."

Christian's interest is piqued.

"That feeling was cemented when I started volunteering at the hospital on Saturdays and spending time with the children there. I think that I'm in a really good place now, overall," she smiles.

As Christian's eyes take in her contentment, his mind takes him someplace else.

 _She's so kindhearted.  
This is a girl who deserves the world._

"GEH has a huge philanthropy department that could use someone like you," he suggests with a slight grin.

Still beaming, Ana says, "Thank you for thinking of me, but I'm really enjoying working at Mylegent."

"You know, if this driver safety partnership goes well, I could possibly own a large stake of Mylegent."

"That would be really cool," Ana smiles.

"So, either way, I'll eventually have you working for me."

Although Ana laughs, Christian doesn't. He looks her square in the eye and doesn't flinch. Soon, she stops laughing.

"If that happens, you'll have the added benefit of nepotism," he adds.

"You know – I've gotten as far as I have all on my own. I'm proud to say that in fourteen months' time, I've gone from junior claims agent… to senior claims agent… to claims manager. I'll soon be approaching director."

"And you _should_ be proud. That's beyond impressive. But what about vice president?"

She shrugs. "I'll get there. Eventually."

"I know you will," he says, now smiling again. "But there are definitely other ways that you can help others _and_ be fulfilled if you ever get tired of working in insurance. If that happens, you let me know."

"Thank you," Ana says with a shy smile. She doesn't have the desire to continuing arguing her point.

Christian stands up from his lean and then steps around her to take in Puget Sound. Ana eyes his chiseled profile.

"How did you first learn how to sail?" Ana inquires.

"I started out on a smaller boat with Carrick," Christian says without turning around. "I always loved boats growing up." He turns to look at her. "My company builds them. We built this one."

Ana's astonished. Suddenly, his eyes light up like a young boy's.

"Hey, you want to steer her?"

"Oh, no way," Ana gapes.

"I'm serious. I'll stand behind you. It'll be fine. There's nothing but water here. I promise, you won't hit anything," he says with a slight grin.

Shortly, Ana's at the wheel, shaking like a leaf.

"You've got it. Don't be afraid," he says in encouragement. After that, he's letting go of the wheel from behind her and stepping away. "See, you're doing it all by yourself."

"I am!" Ana cries out in glee.

Soon, the other three finally resurface from the cabin. Grace watches Ana with bewilderment, but Elliot smirks.

"Hey bro, you'd better hurry and get control of your boat back, or else we'll end up like _The Titanic_."

Ana laughs, but Christian isn't as impressed with his brother's snide remark towards his girlfriend.

...

 ** _(A week later)_**

As Ana held hands with Elliot in Pike Place Market throughout the afternoon, she could count at least three attractive women giving her cold looks. She thought that it could've just been a figment of her imagination, but a couple of the stares lingered on for quite some time.

 _Elliot is from a prominent family. I am going to get some looks out in public with him._ Ana decides to set those negative thoughts aside and focus on Elliot. After lunch, the two picked out some fresh produce for dinner before taking in some of the buskers entertaining the masses. They stop and watch one young man in particular play the guitar and sing with a voice of an angel.

"Wow, he's _really_ good," Ana gasps.

"He missed a few cords there," Elliot smirks.

"Oh, but of course you'd say that Mr. _I Play the Guitar, Too_."

"That's right, babe," he says before stealing a kiss from her cheek. "You ready to go home?"

Ana nods. Just as they turn, a very pretty blonde approaches Elliot. He's immediately stunned, but he quickly eases up. He lets Ana's hand go before hugging her.

"Hey!" he greets.

"Long time, no see," the woman says after stepping back from the embrace. Her eyes immediately flash to Ana.

Ana's already feeling assessed. Sized up.

"This is Ana," Elliot introduces. "Ana, this is Michelle."

Immediately, Ana makes a mental note that Elliot didn't refer to her as _'his girlfriend'_ , which already puts her on edge. Still, she shakes Michelle's hand when offered. Michelle then smiles at Ana, but it doesn't reach her eyes. Right away, Michelle turns from Ana and looks at Elliot before she begins rattling off a bunch of names of people that Ana's never heard of.

"What you've been up to? When was the last time you saw _so-in-so_? What about…"

Elliot chats back, but Ana's mind is still back where she was not introduced as his girlfriend. She's starting to get heated the longer she continues to be ignored and not pulled into the conversation.

"Hey! Michelle!" some female yells from across the way. "Let's go!"

"Sorry – I've gotta go," Michelle tells Elliot. "Give me a call later. We'll go hang out sometime."

Elliot narrows his eyes at her and doesn't respond. Michelle quickly hugs him again and then takes off without addressing Ana.

"What was that all about?" Ana says, wearing a severe frown. Elliot takes her hand once more.

"Michelle used to work for me about two years ago. She wanted to know how the guys were doing."

"Oh," she says with understanding eyes. Still, she can't seem to stop wondering why the woman was so unfriendly towards her. "Why didn't you tell her that I was your girlfriend?"

"It's obvious who you are to me. We were fucking holding hands when she got here," Elliot scoffs.

"Still, you could've told her," she strikes back quietly.

"Ana, we're not kids and we don't have to play these baby games. If I'm holding your hand, you're my girl. She knew who the hell you were."

"Did you ever have a relationship with Michelle?" Ana asks, point black.

"Hell no!" Elliot laughs. "I told you, she _worked_ for me."

"Well, I hope you're not thinking about calling her and _'hanging out'_."

Elliot's visibly irritated. "You need to stop being jealous of other women. It's getting old."

Ana is appalled.

"You need to work on your self-esteem, babe," he also lobs. "If you knew how hot you were, you wouldn't be so worried about other women trying to _step in_."

Now furious, Ana yanks her hand away from him and storms off. Stunned, Elliot can't think of anything else to do but laugh. He soon takes off after her.

…

 ** _(Five days later)_**

Ana's gathered at the bar with part of her Thursday crew, when an unrecognizable redhead joins her side.

"Hey – _Ana_ , is it? Is it okay if we talk for a moment?"

Ana glances over at Kate, who obviously isn't too keen on the idea. Doren and Noah both have questions in their eyes. Meanwhile, Tammy gives Ana a look that assures that she won't let the two of them out of her sight _if_ Ana decides to tag along. The revelation is good enough to make Ana hop down from the barstool and follow the redhead.

The two take a seat in two stools on the other end of the bar.

The woman starts. "You don't know me, but I saw you with Elliot last Saturday at Pike Place."

Ana had only met a _Michelle_ , but no one else. Then she recalls a couple of the sour stares that she received before that. One of them probably came from this girl. An alarm immediately goes off inside of Ana.

"I'm Mandy."

She isn't scowling as severely as she was when Ana had encountered her on the street, but she still doesn't come across as warm and fuzzy.

"You're seeing Elliot," Mandy says. "You've been seeing him for a while." She says it as though she already knows these things as facts.

"Yes, he's my boyfriend," Ana snaps. "Do _you_ have a problem with that?"

Mandy sighs as sadness creeps in. "Look – I don't know you, but you seem like a really nice girl. Which is why when I saw you again, I felt compelled to tell you the truth. Elliot Grey is a man whore who has screwed half of Seattle. He doesn't have a single faithful bone in his body."

Ana's overwhelmed as this girl continues to dump all of these damning accusations about her boyfriend on her.

"I don't know how much you know about him, but if you're expecting a monogamous relationship, he isn't capable of doing that. If Elliot could have a harem, he would. One woman just isn't enough for him. That asshole loves himself so much that he wants to spread himself around for all to enjoy."

"You don't know what the hell you're talking about," Ana growls. "I know where my guy is at all times. Maybe he _used_ to be that way, but he isn't anymore."

"Don't be fooled, Ana," the girl cautions. "He's very good at what he does. In the past, he has fooled _so many_ girls."

Ana doesn't believe a single word coming out of her mouth, but she pretends to hear her out. Soon, Ana returns to her friends, and Mandy leaves in the opposite direction.

"What was that all about?" Kate says as soon as Ana sits.

"You know – I'm not even sure what that was. She just started spewing all of these lies about Elliot. Stuff I know that's not true because we're always together. And if we're not together, we're always talking."

"Yeah, what's ginger's deal?" Tammy frowns.

"The Greys are a prominent family. Any girl would claw for the opportunity to land one of the two hottest, most eligible bachelors in the city," Kate says.

"She's desperate," Doren adds.

"That girl is just jealous," Noah says. Doren, Tammy, and Kate all agree.

A short time afterward, Ana seemingly brushes it off, simply because her friends do. But deep down inside, she feels a little unsettled.

…

 ** _(The next day)_**

Elliot pulls Ana close on the sofa as they watch TV.

"A girl came up to me at the bar yesterday. Do you know a redhead named Mandy?"

Elliot's eyes round. "This happened yesterday? Why are you just mentioning this now? You should've called me right away."

"I know," she sighs. "She just started spewing all of this bullshit about you sleeping around. I didn't believe her."

"That's my girl," he says, kissing her on the forehead. "Don't believe a word these chicks say. I was with Mandy over a year before I met you. She's just a bitter ex who broke up with me because I was much too focused on my business. When she tried to get back with me, I declined. She's been bitter ever since."

Even though they talk it through, and Ana believes him, Elliot still feels as if his girl could be slipping away from him. _I have to do something soon_ , he thinks. _I want to restore her faith in me._

…

Saturday night, Elliot surprises Ana by taking her to his favorite chain steakhouse. She's staring at her half-eaten New York strip, veggies, and salad, unable to stomach another bite when Elliot pulls out a small maroon velvet box from his jacket pocket.

Ana gasps, but she knows in her mind that it's not a ring. They haven't been together long enough for that, nor is he down on one knee. Instead, she pictures a pair of gold or diamond earrings or even a small necklace. But when Elliot opens the box and shows it to her, it's a shiny, brand new gold-colored key.

"You already have the key to my heart," he says. "Now here's the key to my apartment. I love you, Ana Steele."

 _It's about time_ , she thinks before smiling wide.

…

 ** _(A week later)_**

Ana is in the middle of coloring with three young patients in the hospital's craft room when someone familiar hovers over her.

"Oh my God, what are you doing here?" she chuckles with wide eyes.

Christian shrugs. "I had free time."

"Very rare for you," Ana laughs.

He then kneels down to one of the little girls sitting beside Ana. "What do you have there?"

"I just colored a train," the precious little blonde says so proudly.

"Very impressive. Not a single shade out of the lines. That's very hard to do."

"It's easy for me," she sasses.

Ana laughs. "Lexi is a _true_ artist."

Sometime later, Grace stops by in scrubs and is stunned to see her youngest son in the flesh. Christian stands from coloring with the kids and carefully hugs his mother. "If I knew you were going to be here, I would've made our reservation for _three_. Do you care to join Ana and me for a late lunch?"

"I'd love to, but I need to take off now. I'm stopping by the office for a conference call with a partner in the UK."

"You'll be at dinner tomorrow, right?" Grace asks with hope in her eyes.

He nods before placing a kiss on her cheek. "I'll see both of you tomorrow." When Ana stands, Christian reaches out his hand to shake hers, but she launches forward and hugs him instead.

"I'm a hugger," Ana giggles.

Christian's world stops as her arms tighten around him. Without thinking, he hugs her back just as tight. He then lets out a shaky exhale before they release from one another.

…

"Christian has really changed," Grace says across the small table. She and Ana chat while waiting on their sandwiches at a nearby restaurant.

"Like how? For the better?" Ana asks.

"You already know about him not speaking at first when Carrick and I had just adopted him." Ana nods. "He really didn't start speaking until after we brought his baby sister home two years later."

Ana gapes at her. "A _sister_?"

Grace frowns. "Yes… Mia."

"Mia?" Ana gapes even wider. " _I_ … I didn't know that Elliot and Christian had a _sister_."

"What?!" Grace gasps. "Elliot never told you?"

Ana shakes her head. "No, this is the first I'm hearing about it."

"There are pictures of her all around our home," Grace says with nervous laughter.

"I know that, but no one ever mentioned who she was." Ana is beside herself.

"Mia was a baby when we first brought her home. We lost her to leukemia when she was just sixteen. It absolutely devastated our family for _years_. Mia was the glue that held us together. I'm _stunned_ that Elliot has _never_ told you this. I figured he would. He made me promise not to speak about her death to you, but he promised me that he'd talk to you about Mia himself."

Ana is beyond speechless.

…

 ** _(Later that night at Ana's apartment)_**

"It was painful. The family never talks about it."

Ana has never seen this side of Elliot. He's usually so full of life and joking around. But one mention of his late sister immediately crashes his spirit.

"I'm sorry," Ana says, and she pulls him in for a hug while in the kitchen. "Still, I'm disappointed that this is the first time that I'm finding out about this."

Elliot yanks away from her. "It's not like it happened to _you_. Quit playing the victim," he hisses at her.

Ana is in utter shock. He rarely if ever lashes out like this.

Elliot quickly rescinds his temper and reaches out to embrace her again. "Babe, I'm _so sorry_ about that. You see why I can't talk about it? It still hurts. _I_ … I _loved_ that kid more than _anything_. And to watch her die slowly like that…"

"Stop," Ana says, now weeping and holding him in return. "I didn't mean to bring up old wounds. Don't be sorry. _I'm_ sorry."

...

 ** _(Four days later)_**

His hand reaches up her thigh, and she lets out a deep breath. His lips dance across the sensitive skin of her throat, and there's something on the inside of her that immediately comes alive. She knows in that moment that she wouldn't want to be anywhere else but here with him. His mouth is soon on hers, taking more than he gives. She's lightheaded.

In a twinkle of an eye, he's carrying her from his living room sofa into his bedroom and placing her on his bed. She can hear the excitement in his groans as he moves on top of her, ravaging her neck; her mouth. Her hands tangle in his soft blond hair and her pelvis fights through her jeans to meet his. He pulls away and slides off her shirt, and then makes quick work of her bra. Soon, his mouth and her breasts are inseparable.

Her temperature rises as she watches him give her nipples extra special attention. She as a whole received the same attention over dinner earlier. They talked for hours. She couldn't remember the last time she enjoyed herself like that. Now she's enjoying him on a whole new level.

Her pants are next to go, as well as her underwear. He takes off his shirt before diving down to treat her clitoris as he did her breasts. She's now writhing and moaning out of control. She wants him more than ever. All of a sudden, there's a sound coming from the living room. He quickly springs to his feet and takes his shirt with him. She's startled.

"Stay here. I'll be right back," he says before dashing out, shutting the bedroom door behind him.

He gets to the living room with his shirt on right when the door swings open. However, the chain lock stops it from opening all the way.

"Hey – what are you doing home?" Ana says through the cracked door. "I thought you were at work. I was stopping by to leave you dinner for later."

"I was at work, but I stopped here for a nap," Elliot says. "I was going to call you. Look, why don't you go home, and I'll meet you there in a couple hours? I just got the call that one of my guys got injured on the site earlier today. He's in the hospital."

" _What_! Oh no," Ana gasps. "Is it bad?"

"I don't know yet," he says. "That's why I need to go now and find out."

"Keep me posted, okay?"

"I will. I promise."

Ana's sad eyes are expecting him to at least take the chain off the door so she can hug him, but he doesn't.

"Alright. I'll see you later."

"Bye, babe. I love you," he smiles lovingly at her before winking.

Ana nods. "Please be careful," she says before shutting the door.

* * *

 ** _(THE PRESENT)_**

Ana pants hard, unable to shake the electricity coursing through her veins as she lays on her back in bed. Christian is propped up on his side, watching her like she's the best program that he's ever viewed.

The sheets are strewed at the foot of the bed since things got quite wild during AM sex. Ana is still reeling from what took place early hours in Christian's swimming pool. Now _this_. Her thighs are rubbing together as her body continues to tingle from head to toe.

"I could watch you wearing that satisfied look for hours," he croons.

"Oh my God," she gasps. "That was… _wow_."

"What was so good about it? Tell me," he says, his eyes and ears her captive.

Out of nowhere, Ana's hand goes in between her thighs and begin to stroke there. Christian's breath catches in his throat.

"You say that you enjoy watching me come?" she breathes.

"Mm-hmm," he groans, moving back closer to her.

"I love watching you come inside of me. Just thinking about it drives me wild."

He plants a quick kiss on her lips before resuming watching the show. As her hand moves quicker, her breathing does the same. Christian is suddenly erect all over again.

"You love it when I come?" he purrs.

"Yes," she says, her hands stroke her clitoris in double time.

"And you love coming with me, don't you?" he hums.

"Yes," she pants. "But I like coming before you so I can watch you come. It lets me know that I can make you feel as good as you make me."

"Better," he tells her. "You make me feel even better. That, I'm sure of. That's why I'm making it my life's mission to please you in every way. I can't have you outdoing me."

Ana smiles as her eyes roll behind her head in pleasure.

"I like the way you release quietly. Your mouth opens wide and nothing comes out but air. Other times, you curse and call out my name. I like that, too. Either way you decide to come, it's beyond sexy to me."

While fighting back his own smile, he begins stroking her hair as she continues to pleasure herself. He can't believe how brazen this woman is; how open she is about sex. He never knew that she could be this… _real_. It makes him feel for her even more than he already does.

"I always want you to tell me what you like," he whispers to her. "If you want it from behind, missionary, or sideways. I always want to fuck you well, Anastasia."

She moans, not pausing her hand down below.

"Even though you're touching yourself, all of your pleasure still belongs to me," he declares, before kissing her mouth. "You're thinking about me right now."

"Yes," she gasps.

"Mm… that's how it should be. Always." Suddenly, he begins stroking himself for her to see. Ana moans louder.

 _Holy fuck, that's hot,_ she thinks.

"Is this turning you on?" he says with a sexy smirk.

She can only nod.

"Good. Now I want you to make yourself come."

"Will you?" she says in barely a whisper.

His eyes pique in interest. "You want me to come, too?"

"Yes. Please."

"Where?"

"On me."

His eyes narrow. "You want me to come on _you_?"

"Yes," she gasps. "All over me." Her hand below moves even faster and her moans get even louder. He answers by stroking himself faster, too. They lock eyes in the process.

"You want me to come all over your stomach and breasts, baby?" he sweetly asks.

"Yes – _please_."

"If I do, I want you to rub it in like lotion."

"Yes," she groans louder.

He's set ablaze. It's evident to him that she's getting close. He's seen this look on her before.

"Tell me when you're coming," he commands mid-stroke.

After several moans and groans, she's there.

" _I_ … I'm coming…"

She cries out and he quickly hovers on top of her, still yanking himself over her.

"Oh, yes… You look so beautiful when you do that. You're already extremely beautiful, but even more so when you come for me. Now – I'll come for you."

He pleasures himself over Ana for a while, even slapping her hand away when she reaches for him. She laughs.

"What's taking you so long, Grey? Do I not turn you on?" Ana teases.

"You do. Always," he says, the manly bass of his voice shattering every nerve in her.

"Well, show me. I want your thick, sticky cum all over me, Christian," she purrs.

That does it. Her dirty talk and hungry eyes break the levy, and he explodes all over her stomach and breasts. Before Ana even knows what happened, and before she can do what he asked her to do earlier, he drops on top of her. With his skin pressed up against hers, sticky and sweet, he kisses her madly.

…

The two eventually freshen up and make it over to the kitchen for a late breakfast. At the breakfast bar in their robes, Christian feeds Ana the last bite of her pancake. She groans, feeling like she's about to explode, and he laughs.

"I want you to stay again tonight," he tells her.

Ana gapes at him. "I can't. I need to go home and get ready for work tomorrow. I have nothing else to wear here except for this robe," she giggles.

Suddenly, Christian stands from the stool and takes Ana by the hand, guiding her up from her seat. She questions him with her gaze but allows him to lead her out the kitchen, up the winding staircase, and to a room that she's never seen before. It's a place that they didn't stop by during their earlier tour.

When the solid wood doors open, her eyes feast on beauty in excess. Her sight immediately shifts to a plush chair and a vanity table with a vase of fresh multi-color tulips. The space is a stark contrast to the rest of the penthouse. The penthouse is the epitome of masculinity. This room is the essence of femininity. A thought suddenly enters Ana's mind, and she gapes. _It's a massive boudoir._

"This is brand new. I had this done for you," he tells her. "When you finally left _him_."

Ana is stunned.

"I needed the motivation to go after you and make you mine. This room was it."

She's speechless.

"I come here every morning after I get dressed for work and imagine you here, getting ready to start your day. Tomorrow, I hope I finally get to see you do that."

She gasps. "But... I didn't bring anything to wear."

His face exposes a secret smile before he takes her hand again and pulls her further into the room. He releases her hand and tugs at the double doors in unison. The inside immediately lights up from above and reveals another room entirely. It's a walk-in closet fully stocked with apparel. It looks like the women's section of a high-end department store. Christian takes a stunned Ana's hand and leads her inside.

There are two aisles of clothes with full-length mirrors. There's a padded Victorian-era bench in each of the aisles. There's a wall covered with shoes – expensive shoes, from high heels to flats, to sandals and flip-flops. There are boots and even running shoes. All for a woman. All for her.

"For _me_?" she sighs as she turns to look at him. She's met with his gorgeous smile which takes her breath away even more

"All of this was done for you. Back outside, you saw the armoires and chest of drawers. There is even more inside of those. Whatever doesn't fit, we'll send it back and get your correct sizes."

Ana's in a state of shock. "You didn't have to do this."

"I did," he says, steadfast. "I wanted to plant the seed for you to be here. Now that you're finally here, I'm reaping the harvest. This room is so very special to me," he explains to her. "Many prominent people believe in the law of attraction. If you want something bad enough, you have to think positive thoughts about it every single day. Some do that with a vision board or a dream book. I had a _dream girl_ and a _room_."

Ana is beyond touched by his words. _This room is way too much_ , Ana thinks, _but who am I to crush his dreams?_ She suddenly wraps her arms around him and kisses him. They kiss for a good while until he pulls away.

"Let me show you the rest of your closet before I fuck you in here." Ana laughs. "There's also a bathroom with a shower and shampoo bowl."

Ana is stunned. _A bathroom and hair salon in a closet?_

Christian takes her by the hand and looks at her with sincere eyes. "I still have goals. Just because you're in this room doesn't mean that I'm done dreaming. If you'd like some of the space in my closet downstairs, there's plenty of room for your things there as well."

In a flash, Ana's spirit dampers. _He's moving way too fast._

"Just hear me out," Christian says, immediately sensing her reluctance. "You're living with your friends right now in a very small space. You saw how much room I have to spare, and I live alone."

"What about Taylor and Gail?" Ana argues.

"I haven't shown you their wing. They have their own quarters completely separate from mine. Ana, I want you to live with me."

"It's way too soon," she gasps.

"If it's an issue about having your own space, like I said, there's more than enough here. If you have an issue with us cohabitating, there's enough room to make us seem more like neighbors than roommates."

Ana smirks. "Be honest, we wouldn't be roommates."

Unable to contain his smile, he says, "You're right. We are together now, so we might as well be _together_. Look – it's not like we just met. We've known each other for years. It shouldn't be hard for you to just move in with me."

Ana shakes her head, seemingly giving in. "You certainly drive a hard bargain. But can I at least think about it? I'd still like to know that I have a choice in the matter."

"I totally understand that," he says. "But I hope that you can at least stay the night now that you know you have clothes here."

It's boggling her mind that this man has provided her with a full wardrobe in advance of them getting together. Bit by bit, Christian is proving to her that _she_ is the only one for _him_.

"I'll at least stay the night," she tells him.

His smile brightens up the already well-lit room. "Good. And I'll take you to work tomorrow."

She shakes her head. "No. I need you to drop me off at my place so that I can drive my own car to work."

He wants to argue the matter but decides to better pick his battles.

"Very well," he concedes.

…

After dinner, Ana returns the favor in bed from last night by giving Christian an exotic massage with the same oil that he used on her. It eventually leads to a foot job and him orgasming, but before she bests him again, he pulls her down and fucks her, making her come twice before he lets go again. One thing Ana learned fairly quickly is that Christian refuses to leave the scales unbalanced between them.

As Ana teeters the line of sleep and consciousness, she swears that she hears him say, "Ana Steele, I love you with all of my heart and soul."

…

Ana wakes up in the middle of the night with a start. She feels that Christian is hard, and it's pressed against her ass. In no time, she's in deep want. When she turns around, she's surprised to find that he's still sound asleep. Regardless of the fact, she kisses and caresses him. Soon, she's stroking his cock until he awakens.

"What are you doing, Miss Steele?" he rasps with a lazy smile.

But Ana is on a mission. This man is like a drug to her. One taste and her veins can't pump blood unless he's swimming inside of her.

She doesn't stop touching him. Soon, he leaps on top of her. They kiss wild and hard, their moans and deep breaths pepper throughout the room. Hands, mouths, and tongues are everywhere. And before he can go down on her, Ana stops him.

"No… _Now_ ," she orders.

He winces at her.

"I'm ready _now_ ," she assures him.

He believes her, so he doesn't check for proof with his hands. Instead, he places his tip right at her entrance.

"I'd say you are," he exhales. He then pushes all the way in.

"Ah!" she cries out.

He starts slow and then goes faster.

"Tell me what you want, baby," he pleads. "I desire to give you _everything_."

Ana answers him with another cry, and his stroke turns from fast and hard to long and deep. A deep groan escapes her throat.

"Tell me. What do you want?" he asks again.

Breathing hard, she takes his hand and places it on her throat. His eyes gape wide, but he doesn't stop moving inside of her.

"Squeeze it," she pants.

"Ana," he gasps. His hand stays right where it is, but he doesn't clutch.

"You asked me what I wanted," she moans. " _Squeeze it_."

Christian fights with himself, but he eventually increases the tension of his hold. She groans and her pelvis starts to collide with his.

"Oh God… _Ana_ …"

"Squeeze it!" she says again, now crying out. "Harder!"

Without thinking, he tightens his grip around her neck even more. Ana moans even louder, and Christian growls like a lion.

"Like this, baby?"

"Yes!" she cries out.

He pushes and pulls at an even faster pace, leaving them both panting and gnashing their teeth.

"Christian! _Harder!_ "

She squeezes her hand over his, urging him to _really_ choke her. Her sex is frantically pulsating around his shaft. He knows that she's beyond close, so he tightens his grip around her throat even more. Ana rasps a scream.

Thrusting her hard with burning eyes of desire and a tight grip around her neck, Christian is so tense that a vein is now present in the center of his forehead. His entire body is dripping with sweat, and it mixes with Ana's. She suddenly detonates harder than she'd ever had before.

"Oh fuck!" he roars. "I'm going to come!"

"Do it! Please! _Ahhhh!_ "

And he loses himself completely, exploding strongly and wetly, pouring all of himself – every single drop – inside of her.

* * *

 ** _A/N: Thanks for your patience. I had a very busy first week back to work._**

 ** _I hope that you enjoyed this extra-long chapter. I needed to lay out a few things before we head into the next few chapters. I also didn't want to break up the content here since I already teased it in the Storie Tells All Facebook group. I hope that it didn't disappoint. ;)_**

 ** _We're in super-lemony territory with the new lovebirds. Sex is how they are first linked together, but it won't be the thing that keeps them together. Trust me, it's going to take a whole lot of everything to prevent them from falling apart after what they'll be facing – but that turmoil won't be for a while. First, they will continue to bang like rabbits lmao!_**

 ** _If you haven't noticed, I started giving each chapter a pithy name. I'm sure you figured out why I named this one "Swim or Choke" haha! Hey, I've already titled the next chapter "Extra Sugar and Cream." Stay tuned to find out why. :D_**

 ** _Thanks for reading! – ST2_**


	6. Chapter 6

**Chapter 6** **– Extra Sugar and Cream**

 ** _(THE PRESENT)_**

"Promise me… You'll never forget the weekend we had together."

" _Ah! Ah!_ "

"Promise me, my darling."

" _Ah – I won't! I can't!_ "

"Good girl. And I never will. You know, we can be like this every single day and night, if you say _yes_ …"

" _Ahhh… Oh!_ "

"Fucking hard at night until you fall fast asleep…"

" _Ah-ahhhh!_ "

"… and making sweet love in the morning – like this."

*moans*

" _Mmm_ … I can't see myself waking up in the morning and you not being beside me – especially after such a sublime weekend. You belong right here with me. You know that, right?" *smooch*

" _Ahhhh!_ "

"I love you. I want you to know that. I've _always_ loved you. Look at me."

" _Ohhh!_ "

"I. _Love._ You. Ana."

" _Oh! Christian!_ Oh my God… **_Ah_** _!_ "

"You're right there, baby. Just let go."

…

 _Holy cow, there's so much to choose from..._

Wearing a robe with her hair up in a messy bun, Ana parses the massive closet that Christian had built for her on the second floor of his penthouse. She wanted something simple to wear to work today, but everything her eyes have feasted on is extravagant and beautiful. Cocktail dresses. Gala gowns. Things that shimmer and sparkle.

Ana's mind can't help but to contemplate what occasion Christian had in mind when he procured these wears. _Will I now be 'that girl on his arm' when the photographers' flashbulbs go off?_ The very thought causes her nerves to skyrocket. _Not so fast, Steele. You only need to find a simple blouse and a skirt. No need to plan for the governor's ball just yet._

Ana finally settles on a creamy gray pencil skirt and short-sleeved white ruffled blouse. Now her next task is to decide: _With or without stockings?_ After she puts on the skirt and blouse, she stands at one of the full-length mirrors in the closet with nude nylons thigh-highs in hand. She then sits on one of the plush red velvet benches and starts to roll one nylon up her thigh. At that moment, the air suddenly feels dense.

She looks up at the entrance and sees Christian leaning against the wide jamb, watching her intently. His dark tie hangs loosely around his white dress shirt. He's donning dark slacks and spotless expensive black leather loafers. His cufflinks glimmer from the reflection of the natural lighting emitting from the receding source above. But what takes Ana's breath away more than the way his fully clothed body still exposes his delicious muscular frame is the wide smile on his face. It stops her heart. Butterflies course her belly. Her mind suddenly goes back to when he first brought her to this boudoir, and he described to her how he'd come here every morning and imagine her getting ready, just as she's doing right now.

As Christian continues to stare at her in adoration, Ana doesn't know what to say to him. Instead, she simply gives him a shy smile and begins putting on her second stocking. In that moment, she desperately wants to agree to move in with him just so she can continue seeing that same joy reflected in his marvelous gray eyes. However, she fears that if she plays her hand too soon, he just might have the advantage over her heart.

Right now, Ana can't afford to let that happen.

…

Taylor, Christian's driver and right-hand man, pulls up to the entrance of Ana's apartment building.

Ana turns to her right and admires the sight of Christian Grey in a suit and tie as they sit side by side in the rear of his black luxury SUV. It's only the second time she's seen him suited up in person. Friday was the first. Suddenly, flashbacks of how their weekend together first came to fruition flood right to the surface.

 _"I want to fuck away the very memory of him, Anastasia."_

 _And boy, **that** – he did. The bed, the shower, the kitchen, the sofa, the pool table, the swimming pool… Oh, my._ She stifles an involuntary tremble.

"Your car is just over there in that lot, right?" Christian says, breaking her spell. "Taylor can take you right to it."

"No, this is fine," Ana quickly replies. "I need to go up and grab a few things anyway."

Christian's brows furrow, wondering what else she could need. But then he eases up. _Perhaps she has to retrieve a work laptop._ "Very well."

Taylor opens his door to exit.

"Taylor, give us a moment, please," Christian orders.

"Yes, sir," he said before climbing outside and shutting the door behind him.

Christian looks directly at Ana. "Will you call me tonight?"

"Yes, I will," she says with a shy smile and nod.

"Good. Well, I hope you have a most stellar day."

Ana can't help but laugh, and it causes him to dole out a bashful smile of his very own.

"And I hope your day is… splendiferous," she teases.

He lets out a quick chuckle before regaining composure. "I predict that it will be quite dazzling. Especially if you call me tonight."

"Which I will," she reassures with a tender expression.

As Ana takes off her seatbelt, Christian suddenly removes his.

She gapes at him. "What are you doing?"

He flashes her a confused look. "I'm walking you to your elevator."

"No – I'm fine, _really_ ," she chuckles nervously. "I can take it from here. Thank you so much for…" Ana can't think of the words to describe literally the best three days of her life. "… _Everything_ ," she finally spits out.

Christian fights to move out of his seat, but Ana's insistent gaze keeps him glued in place. "You sure?"

She nods. "Yes, I'm sure. Go to work. I won't be far behind you."

"Oh… alright," he acquiesces. His now puppy dog eyes nearly make Ana come undone. He then reaches out and grabs her hand. "And thank you for finally making my dreams come true this weekend. I only hope that this is just the beginning. For _us_."

An emotion so powerful and strong hits Ana right between the breasts, and her head drops. If she were asked to describe the feeling, she couldn't. Fear keeps her lips sealed. Still holding her hand, Christian suddenly slides in closer, diminishing the gap between them. After a few tense beats, Ana's eyes rise again to meet his. Her tiny seas of blue radiate with uncertainty, while his gray orbs have never been so sure of anything else.

"I know that this might seem a little too fast for you," he murmurs. "And I know that you have some things you need to work out. I only ask that you allow me to be here as you do that. And when you're ready to love me back, I'll be right here waiting."

 _What can I say to that?_ – Ana thinks.

"I know you said you'd call, but I'd love it even more if I could come back here and get you after work." As Ana eyes widen, he hurries to fill up the eerily silent space. "I heard what you said; you need more time to decide if you'll move in with me. But at least come home with me tonight."

"I… I don't know," she sighs. "We've spent the entire weekend together…"

He inches closer, squeezing her hand tighter. "And it was wonderful, right?"

"Yes," Ana replies in a shaky whisper. "It was. But it might be best if I slept in my own bed for once."

Christian pushes pass the sinking feeling in his stomach. He's a born negotiator, so that tried and true spirit kicks into overdrive. "Whether you know it or not, the only home you truly have is with me. Right now, you're living with an engaged couple who I'm sure you know will be moving soon, leaving you without a place to stay. You can get a jump before …"

Ana interrupts. "They agreed that I could keep the apartment."

The brakes in Christian's mind slam to a screeching halt. All of those years of training and that self-composed nature he has all fall by the wayside. All he can say in response to that is, "Oh." And for the first time in her presence, _he_ looks down. To his utter surprise, she reaches out and touches his face with her free hand.

"That doesn't mean that I will. Like I said, I will keep my promise and consider your kind offer," she reassures him. When his eyes roll up and meet hers again, the light emitting from them sends a charge right through her. His hand rises up to meet hers and holds it against his cheek. As a small tinge of hope graces across his face, there's something innately inside of Ana that longs to always make him smile. Before this weekend, she hardly saw him do it. In her core, she feels that everything this man has ever told her to this point is true. _He's faithful. He loves me._ However, what she fears the most is not being able to match that love. Although he said he'd wait until she was ready, she doesn't know if she'll ever heal. She's been broken and damaged by men in the past, especially by this man's brother.

Yet there is a drive within that's encouraging her to leap from the precipice and dive into the waterfall, plunging down into the abyss of uncertainty. But the look he gives her right back reassures that if she does simply that, he will be there to catch her at the bottom.

On instinct, she leans forward and pecks him softly on the lips. "I'll call you as soon as I leave work," she murmurs. When she pulls all the way back, she notices that his eyes are tightly shut and he's licking his lips. Then his eyes blink open and radiate with so much vitality that it nearly jolts Ana back against her seat.

"Your kisses are sweeter than sugar," he croons. "I never want the taste to leave my mouth."

Ana's breath hitches in her throat. She knows that she must leave now, or the two of them will probably aim for day number three in bed, even if it's hers.

…

After going through the stack of mail on the kitchen counter, Ana walks up to the picture window in the living room. _Maria and José forgot to open the blinds,_ she thinks with a furrowed brow. When she pulls open the blinds, she's shocked to see that Christian's car is still parked out front.

As she stares at the idle SUV, she suddenly realizes that Christian probably sees her standing there at the window. Unfortunately, his rear windows are tinted, making it impossible for her to see him. Smiling and shaking her head, she starts to reach for her phone in her bag on the table to text him when the SUV finally takes off. It takes her a few moments to break away from staring at the now blank space in front of her building.

When Ana got home, she was hoping that she at least had someone there to talk to. She'd only been able to communicate with one person during the past sixty-five hours, so she felt that it would've been beneficial for her to bounce some things off on someone else. She wanted to be certain that she was thinking straight before she made up her mind to move. _Thinking straight_ is certainly a chore, especially when you have the likes of Christian Grey coursing through your veins.

And now she barely wanted to leave for work. She'd never missed a day at Mylegent, nor had she wanted to until now. Ana absolutely loves her job as regional accounts manager. But after the mind-blowing weekend that she had, she couldn't dream of being any place else other than with _him_.

…

"My goal today is to close out two of my active claims," Mike announces.

Ana's stands in the midst of her eight direct reports by the magnetic board littered with graphs, charts, and tables. In today's morning huddle meeting, she's physically there, but her mind is someplace else. While thinking about this morning and the entire weekend, her eyes suddenly close mid-tremble. The very thought of her time with Christian makes her legs tightly clench together in order to stop her middle from throbbing.

In the midst of her wayward thoughts, Ana hears Mike Drake, the older father figure of the team, continue on. As Ana comes back to the surface, she catches April and Sherrie staring at her. April Douglas is the highest performer on Ana's team. With flawless brown skin and silky straight hair gathered back into a ponytail, April is normally extremely serious, and laser focused. But the look she gives Ana in this moment blows her usual self-composed cover.

Then there's the tall brunette with glasses, Sherrie Barker. Sherrie is the one that all non-morning people dodge from before they've had their first or second cup of coffee. No matter what time of day it is, Sherrie can be just a dash too much sunshine for the normal individual. Instead of smiling wide at her boss per usual, Sherrie gapes at Ana with deep concern. Ana senses the tension amongst the group, so she decides to end the huddle early.

"Alright, let's get to work," Ana sighs. "Go team." Puzzled looks are exchanged all around as Ana subtly nods before turning on her heel and sauntering away. As she heads towards her office, she can hear footsteps trailing closely behind her.

"Is that a new outfit, Ana?" peps Sherrie. "You look _amazing_!"

"You most certainly do," April chimes in out of character.

Just before reaching her office, Ana stops dead in her tracks and spins around. "Can I help you with something?" she frowns.

"How was your weekend?" Sherrie says with her trademark over-smile.

"Are you okay?" April says with a contrasting expression that's heavily drenched with concern.

"I'm fine," Ana shrugs. "Why wouldn't I be?"

"Well, you look fantastic!" Sherrie says a little too loudly.

"You're… _glowing_ ," April says, now disguising a smirk. "New man?"

Ana smirks in amusement at her two employees before reaching out to shut her door.

"Get to work, ladies."

…

Time crawls at a snail's pace. Each meeting Ana sat in, she struggled to focus on the topic at hand. Instead, her mind would flash back to having hot sex with Christian. Each time her thoughts took her there, she'd cross her legs tightly in order to dull the longing ache. It was useless. She realized that she'd been checking her phone for the umptieth time without thinking to see if he bothered to text her _just because_. _Nothing._

The time they spent together in bed early this morning seems a lifetime ago. She now misses him terribly. He was all she had for the entire weekend, and he was everything that she could ever hope for – and more. Now she's slowly going insane without him. So much so, that she even contemplates accepting his offer to move in with him the moment she gets off from work. Ana knows that this decision is an irrational one.

 _I need to get my head back on straight.  
I can't jump the gun like this._

After her boss' staff meeting, Ana heads down to her old department searching for Tammy. When Ana reaches Tammy's desk, her computer monitor is dark, and the florescent desk light is turned off.

"Hey, Tam took the day off."

Ana turns and faces Doren. "She's on vacation?"

Doren nods. "Yep. She took a long weekend. Marty's folks are in town."

She sighs. "That's right. She told me that."

Ana's beyond bummed. She wishes that her friend was here to help set her straight. Then another thought crosses her mind. _How could she help me? She doesn't know that I've been with Christian. Nobody knows, not even my roommates._

" _So_ ," Doren starts in a discrete voice as he removes his headset.

 _Oh no,_ Ana cringes. _He's going to ask about the new clothes.  
He's going to ask who I was with…_

"I'm thinking about finally asking April out."

Ana gapes at him, surprised that he went in a completely different direction. She quickly composes herself being that she's already well aware of Doren's massive crush on her star employee.

"Really?"

Doren nods with a bashful smile. "Hey, maybe you should bring her out to Thirsty Thursday, and I could ask her then."

Ana smirks. "I think you should approach her first before I bring her in. What happens if she turns you down? Then she'd already be a part of the group."

"Fair point," he nods.

Without being prompted, Ana suddenly imagines Christian groaning on top of her as he thrusts inside of her with all of his might. Ana stifles a groan of her very own before quickly turning away from Doren mid-sentence and hurrying back towards her office.

"Ana… _Wai_ …," Doren says, startled, but she's already gone before he can get the word out.

Ana is beyond flustered because she can't even manage to hold a simple conversation with a good friend without her brain being in a tizzy. She shuts her office door behind her and locks it.

 _What has he done to me?!_ – Ana screams on the inside.

…

After finally managing to take her mind off of sex with Christian for a valiant hour, Ana's mind suddenly turns into mush in the middle of a conference call with several partnering companies. Thankfully, she's on mute.

Her mind drifts back to last night when she had him strangle her. He was very reluctant to do it at first, but as soon as Ana's pleasure skyrocketed through the roof, she witnessed something come alive in his eyes. It was as if she gave Christian full permission to be a dom again. Seeing that raw side of him caused Ana to lose it.

Ana can't for the life of her figure out why she wanted him to strangle her. She was simply raw and in the moment. She'd often watch porn with Elliot and saw females who enjoyed in breath play, but Ana could never imagine partaking in that herself.

But there was something about Christian Grey. The moment he asked her what she wanted, she had this growing desire to test her limits with him. Even when she journeyed the penthouse alone late at night, she secretly hoped that Christian's playroom was still there. He had already made her mind and body feel so many things over the weekend, but she desperately wanted to explore how high he could take her.

Ana Steele had been dead for so long. Her entire being had kicked into survival mode. When she agreed to meet Christian for a dinner date, she never knew that he had the power to flip the switch and make her feel again. On any other occasion, Ana would be shutting down and turning off her feelings. She'd swore off men once and for all after leaving Elliot. This is the time when Ana should be burying herself in her work, as she did prior to two and a half years ago.

Instead, Ana sits behind her desk with her wireless headset on, not listening to a single word that's being said. The only thing she's listening for is her name before hitting unmute to beg the speaker to repeat the question. Christian Grey is the sole reason why she can't use her same tried and true tactics to cope.

As the owner of a large towing company takes the floor, Ana's mind drifts back to how Christian took control of her body and made her feel things that she'd never _ever_ felt before. Her head falls back into her seat as her eyes roll behind her head, and her hand smooths down the ruffles of her shirt covering her breasts.

 _I wonder what he's doing right now in this moment.  
I hope he's thinking of me, too._

Suddenly, Ana feels an involuntary quake just before something oozes down the side of her thigh. She gapes. _What the hell was that?_ She silently hopes that it's not her period. _It's not even that time_ , she thinks. But she can't take any chances; she's wearing a light gray skirt. She takes her call off mute.

"Guys, this is Ana. I need to drop off the call," she says in a huff.

"Sure, no worries, Ana. I'll fill you in," one of the other managers says.

"Thanks."

She quickly ends the call, pulls off her headset, and places it on the charger. When she stands, she partially twists her skit to check for spotting. She sighs in relief, but then another thought crosses her mind. _No, it can't be. I showered afterwards._ She even smirks at herself at the audacity of the very notion.

Ana opens her office door and journeys carefully to the nearby ladies' room. Ana selects the furthest stall and locks it before lifting up her skirt and pulling down her lacy black underwear. When it finally registers what she is seeing, her eyes nearly fall out of place. Her last thought was exactly on the money.

 _Holy shit._

What she felt oozing down her leg was a souvenir of pleasure. _His_ pleasure. Ana suddenly transitions from stunned to _on fire_. She's beyond hot for this man and can't spend another moment outside of his presence. She wonders how he can speak to every part of her and make it heel at his command. It's only been eight hours since capping off their weekend-long sexual marathon, and she's totally hooked. He's like a drug and she feels like a junky itching for her next hit. Ana thought that she could live off the residue of that glorious weekend, but she already needs a fresh dose of him.

Echoes of her screams mixed in with his primal sensual coaxing ring in her head. Flashbacks to being bent forward over the cold kitchen island while he penetrates deeper than anyone has ever been before causes delicious pangs to surge in the core of her belly.

Ana knows that her mind isn't here at work, it's with him. Every part of her body is screaming for him. It's as if he hypnotized her. She simply can't break the spell.

Still alone in the ladies' room, Ana freshens up as much as possible before deciding to take off for a late lunch to pull herself back together again.

 _I need to focus._

* * *

 ** _(THE PAST – 12 months ago)_**

"I wonder what hospital his employee was sent to," Grace ponders out loud as she knits beside Ana. "Did Elliot say?"

Ana turns and hooks her own yarn with the needle like it's second nature now. "No, he didn't," she shakes her head.

She still can't get over how strangely her guy behaved an hour ago. He didn't even remove the chain from the door. Ana knew that was an error in judgement to let that slide. All the way to knitting class, she was kicking herself about not urging Elliot to open the door so she could at least hold him or hand him his dinner. Instead, she had to take it back home before heading over to meet Grace for knitting class.

"I should call Northwest and see if anyone from Grey Construction was admitted today," Mrs. Grey resolves.

Ana places her latest project down on the table in front of her. "I can call Elliot now if you'd like."

"No, no," Grace insists. "I'm sure he'll get back to one of us soon."

Ana sighs before picking her yarn back up and figuring out where she'd left off. "I'll let you know if I hear anything."

"Thank you," Grace replies. "So, has he talked to you at all about his sister?"

"Not much," Ana says. "He was really distraught when I brought up Mia this past Saturday."

"That simply breaks my heart. I was hoping that he'd find healing after all these years," Grace murmurs in dismay.

Ana knits for a bit before speaking again. "Tell me about her." She looks up with sincere eyes. "That's if you don't mind."

"Oh no, of course not," Grace insists. "Our sweet Mia was _so_ full of life. She was extremely popular at school." The fondness in the mother's eyes nearly breaks Ana, but she holds it together for the both of them. "Mia was the glue that held our family together. She always kept her big brothers in line."

"I can totally see that happening," Ana giggles.

"Yes, she most certainly did. _She_ was the one who'd always stopped them from fighting one another."

"Maybe that's why they're so close now," Ana adds.

"I believe that," muses Grace. "Like I said, Mia was the glue. And she continues to be the glue nine years after she left us." Sober, Ana pauses knitting and gives Grace her full, undivided attention. "She valiantly fought acute lymphoblastic leukemia for two years. We thought that she finally had it beat, but it was just too strong."

As Grace's voices gets weaker, Ana reaches out and places a hand over Grace's arm in order to bring her comfort.

"Our family is still quite shaken over her death after all these years. It's like it happened yesterday. I know that _I_ haven't gotten over it."

"Grace… she was your daughter," Ana whispers. "It's something that you'll _never_ get over."

Suddenly, the levee breaks and large droplets began to trickle down Dr. Trevelyan Grey's face. Soon, the two women are hugging each other.

"It's okay," Ana reassures her. "If you ever want to talk to me about Mia, I'd be honored to listen. I only wished that I knew her."

With tear stained eyes, Grace pulls back and looks at Ana. "Oh, Ana," she shakes. "You would've absolutely _loved_ her. The two of you would've been the best of friends. I _know_ it."

Now crying herself, Ana nods adamantly. "I believe that. I'm so sorry that her time here was cut short."

"She was much too good for this world," Grace labors through a clenched jaw.

"But I don't think that she ever really left," Ana suddenly says. Grace is stunned by the statement. "I believe that her fighting spirit now resides in those little girls in the cancer wing at Northwest."

"Oh, my goodness, _yes_ ," Grace gasps before laughing through the tears. "You know, I talk to Mia every time I see a little girl come through that hospital. I ask my daughter to give them all the courage and strength they need to fight through their disease. Many of those girls end up leaving the hospital and return home with their families to resume living a full, healthy life."

"See," Ana smiles with melancholy. "Mia's their guardian angel."

Grace breaks down sobbing and grabs ahold of Ana once more. And even though others around them observe in concern and confusion, the two embracing women remain in their closed in bubble of comfort and understanding.

…

 ** _(Two months later)_**

Ana's back drowning herself in her work. Leaving the office later than normal, the traffic tonight moves much more smoothly for the heavy-hearted young woman.

For the past couple of months, Elliot has been showing up at Ana's apartment less and less. When she questions him about it, or she asks him out to attend certain events, he tells her right away that he's much too busy with work. But when the two finally get together, it's as if those days of quiet and loneliness go away. Ana doesn't bother bitching or complaining about him not calling or coming by as often. They've even missed a Sunday or two at his parents' house for dinner, but when they do show up, it's as if there's no drama going on behind the scenes. Grace and Carrick are none the wiser.

But the lingering feeling of dread burning inside of Ana never goes away. She knows that Elliot always has a comeback for her insecurities, so, she resolved that she's just going to trust him from here on out – unless he gives her a reason not to anymore. So far, that hasn't happened.

Ana's phone suddenly rings through her car speaker, startling her from her deep thoughts. _It's too late for Mom to be calling me. It's almost bedtime for her._ She peeps at her phone and sees that it's an unknown Seattle-area number. _Probably telemarketers_ , she thinks. _Out of all times, this is the worse for such call._ Reaching for the button to push the call directly to voicemail, her thumb slips up and she mistakenly answers it.

 _Shit!_

Now what should she do? Should she be a jerk and hang up? Even an upset Ana doesn't have it in her to do that.

"Hello?" she groans in defeat.

"Hello, Ana?"

Ana startles at the unfamiliar sounding male voice.

"Yes? Who am I speaking to?"

"Hey, it's Christian."

 _Christian?  
Elliot's brother, Christian?  
How on earth did he get my number?_

"I'm so sorry for calling you without you personally giving me your number…"

"No-no-no," Ana insists. "It's no problem at all. I assume you got it from Elliot? Or your mom?"

She hears a deep sigh over the loudspeaker. "Well, actually I got it from a contact at Mylegent. I'm _so_ sorry, but I have a dire situation that I need your help with."

 _Dire?  
Oh no!_

"What is it?" Ana says, now alarmed.

"Sorry again. Look, it's _really_ not what you think," he backtracks. She's never heard Elliot's brother sound so…

 _Unsure?  
Awkward?_

"Remember the name of that sweet little girl with the pink bear at Northwest? The one who colored within the lines exceptionally well?"

"God yes!" Ana gasps. "Lexi!"

"Lexi," Christian sighs in relief.

"She went home over a month ago."

"Yes, I know," Christian says. "I wanted to send her and her family a care package. I tried reaching out to my mom about it, but I know she'd be busy consulting for a few surgeries."

"Yes, Lexi Bison. Her mother's name is Loraine."

"Great, that's all I needed. You're definitely a life saver, Miss Steele."

Ana laughs. "Well good. I'm glad I could help. I think that's a really sweet thing you're doing."

"It's no big deal. Just something to keep the family going. I can definitely relate to their plight."

Suddenly, Ana spirit plummets. "I know," she whispers.

"My mother told you? About Mia?"

"She did," Ana says, almost too quietly.

"I figured she would. Elliot didn't… _Well_."

"I know," Ana replies soberly. "He's still hurting."

"We all are," he says. "I, of all people, understand his reluctance to relive a painful past the most. However, when it comes to our little sister, I don't totally get why my brother refuses to _ever_ speak about Mia to those of us who'd gone through her ordeal _with_ him."

"People handle grief in different ways."

"I understand that."

"It's just how Elliot decided to handle his. I can't argue that."

"Argue?" Christian says, concerned. "Is that something you've argued about?"

Ana sighs. "Well… Yes. But it was an open and shut case."

"Damn," Christian sighs under his breath. "You know, I've been urging him for years to talk to John Flynn. He's my longtime psychotherapist."

 _What? – Ana gapes.  
Christian Grey sees a shrink?_

"Yes, I see a shrink," he responds, as if reading her mind. Ana nearly swerves off the road. "I've endured a lot of fucked up shit in my lifetime. John keeps me grounded."

 _Fucked up shit?  
Fucked up shit like what?_ – Ana thinks to herself.

Yet this time, Christian doesn't read her like before.

"Anyway, what's my loser brother been up to lately? We missed you guys last Sunday."

Ana sighs. "He's been working on the mayor's project day and night."

"Oh yeah," he instantly recalls. "I know that's keeping him occupied. When was the last time you saw him?"

"I spoke to him last night. Saw him early Saturday before he went back to the jobsite."

"Three days, huh? He's nuts."

Ana laughs. "Nuts?"

"Yeah, _nuts_. He has Anastasia Steele and he can go more than one day without seeing her."

His words leave Ana dumbstruck.

 _Holy cow.  
What is he trying to say?_

"You think you two will make it to Bellevue on Sunday?" he says, immediately changing the subject.

Still flabbergasted, Ana starts talking out the side of her rear. "Yeah, sure. I think things will have slowed down for Elliot at the site."

"Good. Hey, are you planning on volunteering this Saturday at Northwest?"

"As a matter of fact, yes."

"Very well. I might see you there. I'll have some free time of my own."

"That's great." Ana's mouth says the words, but her mind is still back ten sentences ago.

 _What did he mean by that?_

"Anyone I should be mindful of? Is Neveah still there?"

"She is," Ana beams. "She is so adorable."

"She most certainly is."

"She'll be so thrilled to see you again."

"Can't wait to see her."

"She has a little crush on you, you know," Ana teases.

Christian chuckles. "What about my buddy Jaden? Is he still there?"

"Jaden went home two weeks ago. He's doing _very_ well."

"Wow, that's great to hear."

…

"We finally get to the Mercedes dealership in Bend, and I told Taylor to pull right up to the main door. They just had an ice storm the night before, but he insisted that he was just fine right where he was. The moment he gets out of the car, he immediately slips on a patch of ice and slides a few feet before falling hard on his ass."

"Oh my gosh!" Ana gasps. Meanwhile, uncharacteristic of him, Christian bursts out laughing. "Oh no – that is _not_ funny. He could've gotten hurt."

"Impossible. Taylor's a hard ass."

Unable to hold back, Ana explodes in laughter. "Oh my God… you are _sooo_ bad!" she gasps, unable to breathe.

"Seriously," he says, now composed as Ana still tremors with giggles. "Have you ever been to Bend, Oregon?"

"Nope. Portland's the only place in Oregon that I've been to."

"Vancouver is practically Portland."

"Pretty much. Went to school there for four years."

"I remember. Well, Central Oregon is majestic. The wildlife, the landscape is like you wouldn't believe. They also get all four seasons, along with three hundred days of sunshine. Not much rain in the spring and fall seasons like we have here in Seattle, or Portland."

"Sounds amazing. Are you thinking about getting a place there?" Although Ana's just simply making conversation, she still thinks, _Well, if it's as good as he says, why **not** live there?_

"I've considered it. I already have other homes in Colorado and New York."

"Elliot told me. He said he remodeled your place in Aspen."

"He did," Christian confirms. "I'm trying to get him out to New York to redo my place there. You ever been to Manhattan?"

"I've never been to New York," Ana laughs.

"It's settled, then. When Elliot starts work on my place there, you should go with him."

Ana chuckles. "I don't think I can take off work for that long."

"Perhaps just a long weekend. While you're there, he should take you to see a Broadway show."

The very idea causes Ana to laugh. "Do you _really_ know Elliot Grey?"

"Hell, is he still on his macho bullshit? He won't even take his girl to see a play?"

"Oh my gosh, I'm beyond convinced that you and Elliot really don't know each other. He wouldn't be caught _dead_ at a play."

"Such a pity," Christian sighs. "I thought he finally grew up. Still the same ol' Elliot, I see."

"I guess so," Ana shrugs.

"So, what's on deck for dinner tonight at Casa Steele?"

Ana giggles. "You mean Casa Kavanagh _and_ Steele."

"That's right. Roommate."

"Yep. I started a beef stew in the slow cooker this morning before leaving for work. It should be ready now."

"That sounds magnificent."

"What about you?"

"Honey glazed salmon and asparagus."

"My goodness, that sounds _amazing_ ," Ana sighs. "Are you a good cook?"

Christian chuckles. "No, but my housekeeper most certainly is."

Ana laughs. "Right. Mrs.… Johnson, is it?"

"Jones. Gail Jones."

"That's right," she remembers. "Mrs. Jones."

"Are you close to making it home?" Christian inquires.

"Um, I've actually been here in my apartment's parking lot for the last fifteen minutes," Ana laughs.

"Oh shit," he sighs. Ana laughs again. "Why didn't you tell me?"

"Well, we were having such a good conversation, I didn't want to interrupt you."

"You should have interrupted," he says, humored.

"I really appreciate you making my drive home go by so fast."

"The pleasure is all mine," he croons. "I really enjoyed talking with you."

"Me too."

"Would it be alright if we chatted like this again? I often find myself in heavy traffic as well, and I would love to pass the time with good conversation."

"Absolutely," Ana beams. "Let's do this again. Definitely."

"Most certainly. Well, you enjoy the rest of your week, and I'll see you Saturday at the hospital."

"See you Saturday! Goodnight, Christian."

"Goodnight, Ana."

When the line disconnects, it takes a few minutes before Ana realizes that she is wearing a goofy smile on her face. She immediately shakes it off.

 _Knock it off, Steele.  
He's Elliot's brother.  
It will **never** happen._

 ** _Never._**

Finally, Ana gets out of her car.

...

 ** _(Five days later)_**

"So, the Friday after next, I will be giving a speech at University Washington's School of Medicine," Grace announces proudly at the head of the table.

"That's great, Mom," Elliot says wearing a lackluster expression.

"Yeah… you've done many, _many_ speeches like that plenty of times throughout your career," Christian echoes after his brother.

"Guys, every public speaking opportunity is a great honor for your mother," Carrick reminds them.

"I think it's fantastic," Ana beams.

"Thank you, Ana. At least _someone_ is excited for me," Grace goads her two sons.

"Suck up," Elliot murmurs to his girlfriend. Ana thumps him across the knee. He _'ouches'_ in silence.

"I was hoping that you all would come and hear me speak, and then we'd go out to dinner afterwards," Grace prompts.

"What's the date on that Friday?" Christian says, immediately retrieving his Blackberry from his jacket pocket.

Carrick reaches for his phone as well. "I think it's the 6th."

"No, it's the 5th," Elliot corrects. "I'll be there."

Christian sighs, squinting at his phone at a potential conflict. "I'll do my best."

"That's all I ask," Grace says. "Ana? What about you?"

Ana quickly retrieves her phone from her bag. "Crap. My good friend José's art exhibit opens that day."

"That's right," Elliot says with wide eyes. "Fuck, I totally forgot about that. You also didn't send that calendar invite to me," he murmurs the last part to Ana.

"I totally forgot," she whispers back, feeling guilty.

"Kids, don't worry about it. Go ahead to your friend's art opening," urges Grace. "I insist."

"Elliot, you should join your mom," Ana tells him. "I have José's opening covered."

"You sure?" Elliot asks.

"No, no. Elliot, you go on with Ana to the art opening," Grace urges again.

"José is my friend. He'll totally understand if Elliot has a conflict," Ana explains to Grace from across the table.

"But I think Elliot should go with you," argues Grace.

"Do you not want me to hear your awesome speech?" counters Elliot, feigning disappointment.

"It's not really that awesome," Grace shrugs.

"Well in that case, I won't go," Christian eggs.

"No, _you_ can go," Grace frowns. Ana and Elliot laugh, while Christian smirks. Carrick simply shrugs.

…

"I think Mom has an issue with you having male friends."

Standing in the Greys' great room after dessert, Elliot and Ana cuddle on the sofa by the fireplace.

"Excuse me?" Ana frowns.

"That's why she wants me to go to José's exhibit with you."

Ana scoffs. "She's never even alluded to that. I don't believe it."

"I do."

A sudden third voice coming from behind startles Ana. Christian soon surfaces and he takes a seat opposite Elliot and Ana.

"Grace Trevelyan Grey is _very_ controlling," Christian chimes.

"She certainly the fuck is," Elliot co-signs.

Ana laughs. "The two of you are being ridiculous."

"Our mother doesn't agree that a woman should visit a male friend without her significant other present," Elliot explains. Christian nods in total agreement.

"But I've known José _way_ longer than I've known you. He's one of my _best_ friends," Ana argues passionately.

"I know that. And I trust you. That's just a Grace thing."

"Definitely a Grace thing," Christian echoes.

"Wow," Ana sighs, speechless.

"Although she's a feminist in many ways, she's pretty old school in certain aspects," Christian explains.

"Do you agree with her take on my friend José?" Ana says, suddenly putting Elliot's brother on the spot.

"Do _I_?" he says, pointing the finger at himself. "Well, I certainly wouldn't take too kindly if my lady had male friends, but that's just me."

Ana gapes at him.

"Only a man who's very insecure in his relationship would feel that way," argues Elliot. He suddenly pulls Ana closer to his side. "I, on the other hand, trust my girl wholeheartedly." As Ana beams up at him, he plants a loving kiss on her forehead. Christian frowns.

"I don't know what she sees in you, man," Christian groans.

Ana laughs. "Yeah, there's _definitely_ something wrong with me."

"You jealous, asshole?" Elliot strikes back at his brother. Elliot hugs Ana again before surprising her with a kiss directly on her mouth. Ana is stunned. While his mouth is still on hers, her eyes bounce over to where Christian is sitting, and he is borderline scowling at them.

 _Holy shit, what's **that** all about?_

...

 ** _(Five days later)_**

"Elliot – where the hell are you?" Ana says with restrained anger. After trying him seven times, he _finally_ picks up his phone.

"I'm at the jobsite, Ana," he sighs.

"Well, I'm here at the restaurant waiting for you. I made the reservation for _Tony's_ over a week ago," she snaps. "You told me you'd make it here on time."

"Fuck," he sighs. "I _totally_ forgot about that."

"I actually sent you the calendar invite this time," she hisses. "I've been waiting here for nearly an hour. I've been texting you… Calling you…"

"Well excuse me, Ana!" he now yells. "Forgive me for having a fucking business to run, and the mayor of Seattle riding my ass!"

"You told me Tuesday that the job was finished," Ana growls under her breath.

"Well, it's not! We're still here!"

"So why didn't you answer your phone when I called you earlier?"

"You know what? I don't have time for this bullshit. I need to finish this job."

" _Fine_ ," she bites.

She hangs up the phone and nearly tosses it across the restaurant.

"Ma'am, I'm sorry. Is your guest on his way?"

"No," she says to the kind waitress, trying her hardest not to take her fight out on her. "It'll just be me. Can you bring me a margarita?"

"Sure," the waitress nods. "What type of tequila would you like?"

"Top shelf… And make it a double. I'm paying for it, anyways," Ana groans.

…

 ** _(Four days later)_**

"Ana, have you seen Elliot lately?" Grace asks the moment Ana answers her phone.

Ana winces. "I saw him yesterday. Briefly."

" _Briefly_?" Grace sighs. "I know the two of you couldn't make it over to the house last Sunday. Did he at least come by your place anytime during the weekend?"

Ana's taken aback by personal level of questioning. "He's been tied up on the city project all week long."

Grace ponders in silence. "I know we're meeting for knitting tomorrow, but are you free for dinner tonight?"

"Um… I guess. Why? Is everything okay, Grace?"

"I'm just worried about Elliot, is all. Maybe you can talk me off the ledge. I've be trying to call him for the past five days."

Ana laughs. "He's been knee deep in this project. He's not really taking any of my calls, either."

"Which is beyond unacceptable. I'd expect him to ignore his mother from time to time, but his _girlfriend_?"

Hearing the situation put in such a way immediately causes Ana's strong barrier to crumble down. All of a sudden, she begins to cry behind her desk.

"Goodness, Ana… Where are you?" Grace urgently asks.

"At work," Ana sobs.

"I'm coming to get you _right now_ ," Grace says before hanging up the phone.

…

Grace stares at Ana from across the booth at a chain restaurant. Ana hasn't even touched her food. "Mind finally telling me what's _really_ been going on?"

"I really don't know," Ana whispers quietly. Her tears are all dried up, but her eyes are still quite red.

"Look, I don't want to pry here, but I know my son better than anyone. Anything you can tell me will help me figure this out."

"I honestly don't know," Ana shrugs. "I wished I knew."

"Was it an argument?" Grace probes.

"He yelled at me when I snapped at him for standing me up last Friday. We were supposed to meet for dinner. I was upset and I hung up on him."

"But that was Friday. You said you saw him yesterday."

"I did. He came by the apartment to grab a pair of work boots." _God, why am I telling her this_ , Ana thinks to herself.

"That's it?" Grace gapes. "He said nothing else to you?"

" _I'll call you later_?" Ana shrugs. The look of contempt on Grace's face causes Ana to feel miserable all over again. _I'm so stupid for tolerating him._ Tears start to trickle down her face once more.

"Oh no, Ana… sweetie." Grace reaches for her hand and holds it.

"I should break up with him, shouldn't I?"

"No," Grace says too quickly. "Look, I'll get to the bottom of this, okay? Can you trust me on this?"

After nodding, Ana immediately regrets passing the baton over to her boyfriend's mother. She honestly feels that this is something that she and Elliot should be working out as a couple.

"Elliot is a man," Grace says, "and men are known to do stupid shit."

Ana is startled by Mrs. Grey's words. She has never heard Grace use profanity before. Suddenly, Ana starts laughing through the tears.

"I'm serious," Grace smirks. "When Carrick and I first got married, I _really_ wanted children. Carrick was excited at first. We tried and we tried, but nothing happened. Each time I showed him the negative pregnancy test, the life slowly sucked out of him. Eventually, it reached a point when I was the only one who was vested in getting pregnant, while Carrick became nonchalant. Then the bickering started. Heck, we never bickered before that, not even while we dated."

Ana's fully tuned in to every word that Grace says.

"So, after many months of nagging one another, the two of us finally sat down and discussed our future. I found out that yes, Carrick wanted children just as badly as I did, but he grew so disheartened after the dozens of negative tests, that he completely lost his enthusiasm. It was his natural defense mechanism. Meanwhile, I thought that he just stopped caring. I was wrong. The two of us that night just let it all out. Eventually, we decided to adopt. That's how we ended up with Elliot nearly a year later. Then a year after that, I saw Christian, who was four, at Northwest. I instantly fell in love with him, too. Then we were blessed with Mia two years later."

After Grace shares how she and Carrick were able to work through their problems, Ana finally opens up about how Elliot being distant is starting to take a toll on their relationship.

"I'm not pleased to hear that," Grace glumly responds to the news. "I know that you are still quite young, but Elliot is well over thirty and he needs to get more serious about your relationship. I didn't raise him to be neglectful."

Ana can only shrug in response. She has absolutely nothing to say on the contrary.

"Without a doubt, you're the more mature one in the relationship, Ana. I just hope that my son opens his eyes and sees what matters most before he loses something _very_ special."

The moment Ana's head falls, Grace squeezes her hand on the other side. "You and Elliot _will_ work this out. And if not, it won't stop you and I from spending time together. Ana, you're like a daughter to me."

Slowly, Ana looks up and meets a warm smile from across the table. "Grace, thank you. I feel honored," she whispers, on the verge of tears.

"No, _I_ am the honored one," Grace counters.

...

 ** _(Two days later)_**

Grace is completely fed up with all of her calls going straight to voicemail, so she decides to take matters into her own hands. She shows up at the new site of the recreational center, the mayor's most recent pet project that Grey Construction has been commissioned on.

Trampling through mounds of dirt, Dr. Trevelyan Grey pays no mind to her pricey heels. She's on a mission. On the way, she spots a figure who immediately strikes her as the site's foreman. "Excuse me, have you seen Elliot Grey?" she asks.

"He's working in that trailer," the tall, oversized main in the hi-vis orange vest points over yonder.

"Thank you."

Grace marches until she reaches the makeshift office just past the line of port-a-pottys. She walks up three steps and then opens the door. The moment she looks in, she sees her son sitting much too close to a blonde woman. And if her eyes don't deceive her, he is rubbing her bare knee just below her skirt. Grace clears her throat before walking in and shutting the door behind her.

Elliot looks annoyed until he looks up and realizes that it's his mother standing there. He suddenly gapes in shock, while the girl quickly stands and scurries off.

"Mom, what's up? What are you doing here?"

"You've been avoiding _all_ of my calls," Grace growls.

"Well as you can see, I've been _very busy_ here at work.

"Oh yeah, I bet," Grace practically snarls. "I really don't appreciate the way you've been treating Ana."

"Excuse me?" he says, now looking affronted.

"You heard me," she says, now standing directly in her son's face. "You stood her up for dinner, and you haven't spent any time with her since you last came over to the house for dinner, which was _over_ a week and a half ago!"

"Mom, I had to work," Elliot says, now exasperated. "Ana knows that."

"Is there anything going on with you and the girl that was just here?"

"Hell no!" Elliot shouts, but he quickly composes himself. He knows very well that his language and tone were way out of line. "I'm with _Ana_ , Mom," he now says respectfully.

"Well, act like it then," she seethes. "And you'd better take care of her, or you'll lose one of the best things that's ever happened to you _and_ this family."

"You mean, **_you_** , mom. Ana's the best thing's that's happened to **_you_** since Mia. And by the way, Ana is _not_ Mia," he said bitterly.

Grace is now fuming. "I never said she was, but I still care for her just the same."

"You need to stop it," Elliot snaps. "You are getting way to close to my girl. Now if you don't mind, I need to get back to work." Grace is very disappointed in him, but Elliot reaches in and hugs her anyhow. "I promise. I'll call you later. Okay?"

...

"I don't appreciate you talking to my mother about us," Elliot says, now standing in Ana's living room.

Ana has nothing to say for herself.

"You have a tendency to overshare with her," he adds. "What goes on in our relationship should only be between us. If you have a problem with _me_ , you should tell _me_ , not _her_."

"I _have_ told _you_ ," Ana now strikes back.

"And I've explained to you why I haven't been around. You know where I am, Ana. You can come and see me whenever you like. Hell, my mother did."

"So you say," Ana says, rolling her eyes.

" _So I say_?" he says, now affronted.

"I don't know what you do when you're not around, Elliot." Ana's now on the verge of tears. "All I can do is guess. And when I guess, it's usually not something good."

"Well you need to work on that, babe. After one and a half years of being together, you still don't trust me?"

"Elliot," Ana says, now crying. "I'm only human. When you're not here for long periods of time, I _can't_ be strong. I _can't_. You are asking a lot out of me right now."

Elliot reaches out and pulls Ana in his arms. "I didn't know that it was affecting you like this."

"It's killing me, Elliot. I don't know how long I can take this."

"No – please don't say that," he beseeches, now kissing her on her forehead. "I don't ever want you to give up on us, okay? I promise to do better. I'm completely done with this stupid ass city project after next week. My guys will have to take it from here without me. I need to be here with my girl."

"I don't mean to be so needy," Ana says, now embarrassed.

"You're right, babe. I haven't been here for you. I've been a prick." He holds her even tighter. "Well, you're not saying anything," he smirks in humor.

"I'm waiting on the lie," Ana sighs through the tears. Elliot laughs and squeezes her.

"Come on. Let's eat dinner. Then, I wanna sing the alphabet."

"Elliot," Ana sighs in exasperation.

"Don't be coy, Ana Steele. You know you love it when I sing you the alphabet."

…

 ** _(The next day)_**

After Grace's riveting speech at UW, Christian takes his parents to an Italian restaurant for dinner.

"I wished Elliot and Ana were here," Grace says. Christian rolls his eyes at his mother. "What?" she gapes, stunned by her son's reaction.

"I know it's been a year going on two, but don't get used to Ana hanging around. Elliot will simply do with her like he's done with the others," cautions Christian.

Appearing to be offended, Grace says, "It's absolutely different this time. Your brother has never been with a girl for as long as he's been with Ana. I believe that he's finally grown up. He's truly serious this time."

"I disagree," Christian sighs. Both he and his mother look at Carrick who remains as Switzerland in the situation. It drives the two of them bonkers, but they let it slide.

"What would Mia say about it if she were here?" Carrick says all of a sudden, startling the other two.

"Well, my little sister would have a serious talk with Ana and tell her to call it quits. She's much too good for him," Christian offers.

Grace laughs. "No, no, no, no. I _know_ my little girl and she simply adores her big brother and wants the absolute best for him. She'd whip Elliot right into shape. He'd do right by Ana."

"So, are you implying that he's not doing right by her now?" Christian smirks.

"I didn't say that," Grace immediately retracts.

"I think you just did," Christian smirks even wider.

"You two, cut it out. This is between Elliot and Ana… whatever _this_ is. I really don't know what's going on, nor do I _care_ to know," sighs Carrick. "That's _their_ business."

"But Ana's _my_ good girlfriend," Grace practically whines before sipping her wine. Christian tries hard not to laugh at his mother.

"And was that truly for the best, my dear?" questions Carrick.

"Carrick, you can't tell me that Ana doesn't remind you of Mia."

"No."

"Really?" Grace questions her husband. "Not at all?"

"Well… maybe a little."

"See!"

"Grace."

"Look, I miss my little sister, too. I even named my second boat after her, for crying out loud," Christian starts. "In her short sixteen years, she's managed to impact everyone's life she'd come in contact with. And in her death, she's has actually caused me to reevaluate some of my own life choices. It took some time for me to change. In fact, I'm still changing. It's a process."

"Oh, _Christian_ ," Grace sobs.

"You got her started," sighs Carrick. Christian lowers his head to hide his laughter.

"I didn't finish making my point, dad."

"Yes, you have, son. Now let's talk about something funny. I need to laugh for a change," Carrick orders.

…

After dinner, they decide to forgo dessert because nothing on the menu appeals to Grace. She soon begins to rave over a pralines and cream ice cream made at some brand new specialty ice cream shop downtown. After talking it up, now they all want to go. Once they reach the ice cream store, they see that the line is wrapped outside of the building and around the block.

"Guys, I'm totally sorry," Grace apologizes. "I've talked up this place a great deal. I knew the line would be long, but not _this_ long."

"No worries. I don't mind waiting," Christian says. "You, dad?"

"Not at all," Carrick agrees.

As Grace and Carrick begin discussing a good friend of theirs, Christian looks ahead of a line and spots a familiar face playing tonsil hockey with a woman. _Is that Elliot? Fuck, it is. And that girl is most certainly not Ana. She's too… blonde._

Christian is beyond pissed. _He's supposed to be at that art opening with Ana._ _I knew it – I fucking knew it. Elliot is the same ol' man whore who's continuing along his quest to fuck every single piece of ass in Seattle._

 _I knew that fucker didn't deserve Ana._

Immediately, Christian kicks into action mode. He knows as soon as his mother sees Elliot, she will definitely cause a scene. He takes his phone out of his pocket and puts it to his ear.

"Grey. Yes? Alright. I'm headed there shortly."

"What's going on, son?" Carrick says as soon as Christian puts his phone away.

"I'm sorry, but I need to cut the night short. There's a fire that I need to put out at Grey House."

"Hopefully not a real fire," Grace gapes in concern.

"No," Christian reassures her. "But it's urgent. I hate skipping dessert."

"No, it's not a problem. Maybe next time," Grace says in understanding.

The three of them do an about face and head back towards Christian's SUV.

* * *

 ** _(THE PRESENT)_**

Ana's eyes scan so high to the top of the building, that her neck nearly catches a cramp. Grey House is a glorious modern curved glass tower in the heart of downtown. For the life of her she can't recall how she got here, _or_ why. All she knows is that something in the universe is calling out to her body, and the source resides inside of that building. She can't escape its gravitational pull no matter how hard she tries.

Now, she finds herself standing in the center of the lobby.

 _You're insane, Steele._

Her eyes survey the palatial white sandstone and glass lobby. Men and women in suits are marching to and fro in multiple directions. Feeling overwhelmed and out of place, Ana straightens out her skirt before turning to face the long sandstone desk that seemingly spans out for miles. Standing behind it is a sole skinny blonde in a fitted black dress, who's too busy answering phones to pay Ana any mind. Ana's nerves kick into overdrive.

 _How in the hell am I going to ask the receptionist for the man that owns this twenty-story building without getting kicked out?_ _How do I know that he's even here? Maybe he's at some fancy offsite meeting._

But one thing Ana does know: She can't turn back without answers. And the moment she returns to Mylegent without those answers, she'll be worse off than she was before she left.

"Ma'am, can I help you?" the too-attractive blonde speaks, pulling Ana out of her reverie.

 _He's probably fucking her, too.  
Elliot most certainly would._

Ana's impression of men these days isn't particularly positive, especially of men named _Grey_.

"Hi…um… Is um… Is Christian Grey here?"

 _Nice work, Steele._ Ana is mentally kicking herself in embarrassment. And just as she suspected, the woman gives her a crazy look. _She's going to call security. Hell. I should've at least called him first before showing up here._

"May I ask your name?" she says in a tone that screams peeved.

"Um… Ana Steele?" Again, Ana's kicking herself.

 _Of course, I know my own name.  
Why do I sound so stupid?!_

"One moment, please." The blonde begins to type on her keyboard at lightning speed. Ana wonders if she's checking some list or if she's instant messaging someone – _maybe security to carry me out of the building. She's probably wondering, 'Who do you think you are coming here to world headquarters and asking for **Mr. Christian Grey**?!'_

Little does blondie know, Ana has known Christian's family for nearly three years. During that time, she's spent Thanksgiving, Christmas, New Year's, and Fourth of July with Christian and his family. She's even been on both of his boats – _The Grace_ , named after his mother, and _The Mia_ , named in honor of his late sister, who's his heart.

The blonde's fingers suddenly stop slamming against the keys and she does a double take of her screen. She then looks up at Ana and puts on an artificial smile. "Oh yes, Miss Anastasia Steele. You're right here on Mr. Grey's VIP list."

Ana gapes at the blonde in total shock.  
 _I'm on a list?!_

"If you don't mind, I just need to see your ID so I can generate a permanent badge for you. You'll then take that and wave it over the black card reader located in the very last elevator down that hall," she gestures with a pointing finger. "It will take you straight up to Mr. Grey's office on the twentieth floor."

Ana's shocked to be on _'the list'_ , but she pulls out her wallet anyhow from her hobo bag draped over her shoulder. She takes out her ID and hands it over to the blonde who then swipes it across a device attached to her computer before pausing and then handing it back to Ana. In seconds flat, a white plastic card ejects from another device, and the receptionist grabs it and hooks a black lanyard through the hoop before handing it to Ana.

"That is yours to keep for as long as you need it. Have a great day," she beams.

 _What?!_

 _That's it?!_

"Thank you," Ana says softly, with eyes still gaping in shock. She flips the badge over, and it reads _'VIP'_ in large red lettering.

In a daze, Ana walks over to the bank of elevators and sees that the last elevator is already open. She steps in and right away sees the black card reader that the blonde spoke of. Ana waves her badge in front of it and the doors immediately shut, startling her. The car shoots straight up, nearly knocking the wind right out of her.

 _Oh my God, oh my God, oh my God…  
What the **hell** am I doing?!_

In no time flat, she's on the twentieth floor and the shiny silver doors spring open. Hesitant, she steps out and she's immediately greeted by three prettier blondes – _if that's even possible_ , making Ana feel even more insignificant than she felt just twenty floors below.

 _Although we're dressed the same, I'm still not as put together as these girls,_ Ana thinks to herself. Like her, they each are wearing fancy white blouses but with darker pencil skirts that stop just above the knee. And even though Ana's in heels, the three women behind the sandstone counter – liken to the one downstairs, tower her in height. It doesn't help that each girl has legs for days, plump cherry red lips, and blonde coifs slicked back into either a sophisticated bun or a long hanging ponytail. It's as if Ana just stepped into a Robert Palmer music video with all blondes. Ana really feels beyond foolish for even coming here.

 _Oh, he is **definitely** fucking them._

Ana has the immediate urge to turn around. The last thing she wants is to walk in and see the man that she came to see, in the middle of a tryst in his office. She's been there and done that with the man's brother. It was hands down one of the worse moments in her life. The thought causes bile to rise up her esophagus and causes her to inch backwards towards the elevator.

"Miss Steele, _welcome_ ," the prettiest of the pretty blonde trio peps. Ana freezes in place.

 _She knows who I am?_

"Go straight ahead through those doors. Mr. Grey is ready to see you now."

Ana gives her a look that says – _are you sure?_ Well versed in the art of body language, the kind blonde smiles brightly, chuckles and then nods.

Feeling foolish, Ana turns and heads in the instructed direction. When she gets there, to her surprise, the doors are wide open. Peering in, Ana observes the man of her dreams sitting behind a colossal, U-shaped solid wood desk with a glossy bourbon cherry veneer finish. Ana's legs are too heavy to move, keeping her standing in place. Suddenly, he looks up from his laptop and at her. A slow, panty-dropping smirk takes shape across his face, leaving her breathless.

 _Holy shit,_ she gasps to herself.

Ana immediately clams up. "I… I'm sorry to inter…"

"No… No worries," he says in that deep voice that makes her weak in the knees. "Come in."

The moment Ana steps forward, the doors automatically close behind her. Shocked by the sudden motion, she does a double take.

"Automatic," he smirks in a one-word explanation. Ana turns to face him once more and the butterflies go into overdrive.

"I don't know why I'm here," she says quietly.

Christian stands. "Come," he says, seemingly ignoring her statement of uncertainty. "Sit," he gestures to one of the plush white chairs positioned at the other side of his desk. She doesn't move right away, but she eventually creeps forward.

After dropping her bag into one of the chairs, Ana once more can't seem to help but think how stupid she is for coming here and interrupting this busy man's day. Against her better judgement, which departed the moment she went home with him for the weekend, she takes the seat that her bag's not in.

Christian saunters from around his massive desk and stops when he's standing in front of Ana. He leans back and sits just on the edge of the desk. He's not extremely close to her in proximity, but in Ana's eyes, he is close enough. It causes her to feel her heart rate race underneath her brand new blouse.

"I knew you'd eventually show up," he says with a cocked head. His words and gesture cause Ana to blink. "That's why I added you to the list. Grace is on the list. So is Carrick."

Ana suddenly relaxes just a tad knowing that she'd misconstrued what he just said to her. _He considers you family. Elliot probably has one of these too – she says, stroking the card hanging from her neck._ Christian's eyes zoom in on her fingertips as she caresses the hard plastic. His breathing deepens, but she doesn't notice. She's too focused on her own involuntary reactions.

"I didn't mean to interrupt your day," Ana says, almost sheepishly.

His lips pucker in, then out. "You said earlier that you have no idea why you came here," he says in the silkiest tone. "But I think you _lie_ , Anastasia Steele."

Ana blinks, stunned.

"And I've told you to always be honest with me."

" _What?!_ " she gasps.

He stands from his lean and closes in on her.

 _Oh my God_ – she breathes within. His hand lands on her head, and she flinches. He moves a stray tendril from her forehead and smooths it up and back towards her crown.

"You know why you came here, and _I_ know why you came here," he whispers.

Ana's starting to feel breathless. But when he glides his hand down her hair and past her cheek and to her chin, and then lifts it up until their eyes meet, she stops breathing altogether.

He practically stares deep down into her soul, and she feels absolutely naked.

"You ache," he purrs.

Her nostrils pull for air, but she's incapable of breathing.

"You sat in that office of yours behind that desk all morning, staring at that computer with your legs firmly pressed together, imagining your body re-experiencing wonderful, glorious things."

Against her will, Ana's mouth drops, and she gasps out loud.

"You can't help it. You got your very first hit of euphoria, and you're searching for the next high," he murmurs.

 _Holy shit – how does he know?_

To her complete shock, he suddenly sticks the pad of his thumb inside her mouth and grazes it against her tongue. She's mortified yet thrilled. Her entire body pulsates. Her eyelids clamp shut, and her taste buds amplify.

 _He's delicious._

"And I have exactly what you need," he whispers seductively. "It's everything that your body craves."

Right away, Ana contemplates if he literally dabbed cocaine all over his tongue and on his massive cock all weekend long. _Maybe it's on the tip of his thumb too, because I've never wanted anything so badly in my entire life._

As she thinks it, he slowly removes his thumb from her mouth and he teasingly glides the moisture across her bottom lip. She lets out an involuntary moan.

"And if I'm being completely honest with you, I've been feeling the exact same way," he murmurs. "I'm hooked on you, Anastasia."

Her eyes widen at his confession.

"Don't get it twisted," he says to her with caution riddled across his gaze. "I'm not my brother. Between you and me, I've only truly felt this way only _once_."

Suddenly, a spark of courage courses through Ana's petrified nervous system and awakens her. His hand that has since moved back to her chin is shaken away.

"Once? With _who_?" she says with a smirk.

"With _you_ ," he says with a sincere gray gaze. "You and only you."

His heartfelt confession isn't convincing enough for her.

"How many women have you slept with?"

"Many," he says much too quickly.

Ana's mortified. " _Many_?"

"Yes. But unlike my brother, I am capable of keeping my past sexual exploits to myself."

That milky warm feeling of desire that was once oozing around in her belly has suddenly dissipated. Elevated fear causes her to rise up from her seat and step away from him. Something immediately changes in his expression, too. He's no longer composed and in control. His strong foundation suddenly starts to crack.

" _Sexual exploits_?" Ana repeats, appalled.

" _Monogamous_ sexual exploits," he qualifies slowly without a single trace of humor in his tone or expression. "I've already explained this to you."

 _Submissives_ , she instantly recalls. Now she's beyond amused, so she decides to poke fun at him. "I've spent _many_ holidays with you and your family, and I've _never_ seen you bring a girl to your parents' place." _Of course, he wouldn't bring his contractual BDSM playthings home to Grace. She'd be mortified._

"Like I said, I was _discrete_ ," he says with emphasis.

"But why?" Ana squeaks. She winces at her own high-pitched voice.

"Because, it's nobody's business," he volleys back with a straight face.

Ana sighs. "Because you were just _fucking_ them. Just like Elliot was _fucking_ all of those other girls without introducing them to Grace."

Christian puckers his lips knowing very well that he can't dispute her but tries anyhow. "But I'm not a cheater, Ana. I've never been a cheater. You know that. Well, at least I _hope_ you do."

Ana snorts. "Yeah, you just do it differently. Hey – I guess it's good that you let these girls know right where they stand up front before moving on to the next one, _right_?"

At this point, she's itching to leave just like she was when she first stepped off the elevator. This conversation is beyond unsettling for her. But soon, his hand is back caressing her cheek, and it grounds her. _His touch can heal a thousand wounds_ , she reflects.

"I told myself that the moment you opened up your eyes and saw my brother for who he truly was, that was it for me. _You_ are the girl that I've always wanted. _You_ are the one that I'm finally taking home to Mama."

Ana's stunned silent by his affirmation.

"Yes. The moment you walked into my life over two years ago, I couldn't think straight. From that moment on, you were the pinnacle for me. There was no one that would ever compare for me, and I knew goddamn well Elliot did _not_ deserve to own your beautiful heart."

A heavy emotion suddenly floods in with intentions of drowning Ana, but she refuses to let it.

 _Alright, Steele. You know why you're here.  
 **He** knows why you're here.  
Let's not delay the inevitable.  
You have to get back to work soon._

Ana struggles to breathe as he stares her right in the eye, unwavering. A few beats go when Ana removes the lanyard around her neck and tosses it on top of her bag. Then she takes three steps backwards before quickly unbuttoning and removing her blouse. After tossing it to the floor, she starts to unzip the back of her skirt. Christian answers with an approving smirk before loosening his tie. He stops just short of tugging it off when he journeys back behind his desk to access the intercom. He doesn't take his eyes off of Ana as her skirt slides down to the floor to join her blouse. He bites his bottom lip in satisfaction.

"Yes, sir?" the voice calls out from the desk.

"Andrea, please reschedule my next meeting to tomorrow and hold all of my calls until further notice. I am not to be disturbed for _any_ reason while Miss Steele is here."

"Yes, Mr. Grey."

The intercom clicks off, and Christian marches forward to meet Ana.

"Keep the heels on," he murmurs along the way.

With blue eyes charged with desire, she nods before sauntering towards him wearing nothing but a lacey black bra and panties, with thigh high stockings and pumps. When Ana is standing toe to toe with him, she snatches off his dangling tie. He responds just as aggressively by spinning her around, pushing her forward, and then bending her until her torso drapes over the back of his office sofa. She's panting with more want than she's ever experienced. Every nerve ending in her body burns hot in desire for him. She simply cannot wait to feel him bursting forth inside of her and filling her to the hilt.

The second Ana lets out a moan, her panties are sliding down her thighs. "Tie me up with this… _Please_ ," she gasps, holding out his tie behind her back.

"Wow, Miss Steele," he hums. "You are so brazen. Have you always been this way?"

"No," she breathes.

She tells the truth. Never has anyone taken over her before – body and soul, like _this_. Prior to today, she would never venture over to a man's job and beg him to tie her up and fuck her back to life just so she can think straight for the rest of the day. This is certainly uncharacteristic of Ana. So much so, that she can't help but ponder if he actually doused his member in the most potent chemical substance before giving it to her all weekend long.

"I see." He grabs her wrists and makes quick work with his tie, lacing them firmly. "Now tell me. How do you want it, baby?"

Dripping with excess need she whines, "I just need you to fuck some sense into me. I need you to keep me sane until after work." She hears him chuckle, then moan in response. She flinches. Ana has absolutely no idea what's going through his head, and now she can't see his expression. She feels helpless.

"I think I can manage that," he sings in a satiny, sultry voice. "But I'll only give you just enough to last you until then. I will give you the rest of it tonight in our bed. **_Our_** _bed_ ," he emphasizes slowly so that there's no misinterpretation.

His firm words cause a chill to roll down her spine. As her dealer dangles the allegorical needle over her head, her mouth can't seem to form the word ' _no_ '. If this man wants her in his bed tonight and every night, she will be there with bells on. Just the past five hours served as proof positive that Ana can't function a single day without him plunging inside of her.

Yes, Christian Grey took an entire weekend to reprogram Ana's mind and body to _him_ , leaving no trace of the man who came before him. It's in this moment Ana understands that there is no escaping the hold that Christian now has on her. Her body now belongs to him, totally and completely.

 _But will he ever possess the most important part of me, the one that's damaged beyond repair?_ – Ana thinks.

 _No, I don't see that happening._

 _He's a Grey._

* * *

 ** _A/N: Enough sugar and cream for you, faithful readers? Well, I hope not, because there is much more in store._**

 ** _In the next chapter, Ana learns more about the last two women that Christian was with. These were the girls he enlisted to show him how to be the perfect man for Ana. Then, after the new couple finally comes out to Grace, Christian whisks Ana away on a romantic weekend in Central Oregon._**

 ** _In our flashback, Elliot continues to express that he doesn't like the direction that Ana and his mother are headed in, so Ana begins distancing herself from Grace – much to Grace's chagrin. But an explicit text message causes Ana to run back in her direction. I may drop some hints in the Storie Tells All Facebook group. Hey, I might've even spilled some already. :D_**

 ** _I also teased a while back that Elliot will miss Valentine's Day for the first time. Right now, I have that scene slated to happen in chapter eight. Then in chapter nine, the shit REALLY hits the fan. Elliot plays his trump card, but will it be enough to save his sinking relationship, or will more people come out of the woodwork to help drive the final nail in the coffin? It gets juicer from here on out, folks!_**

 ** _Thanks so much for reading! – ST2_**

 ** _PS: Thanks to everyone who voted "Another Man's Treasure" on top as favorite WIP for January! I truly have the best readers!_**


	7. Chapter 7

**Chapter 7** **–** **Miss American Pie**

 ** _(PRESENT)_**

Christian skillfully glides a finger down her overly sensitized folds. Ana gasps and he answers with a deep, sensual groan.

"Oh Ana…you're _so_ very wet."

"It's not just from me. It's… From earlier," she shakily whispers. Ana's reason for blushing is twofold. She's somewhat embarrassed, but she's aroused more than anything else.

"Really? This morning?" Christian is pleasantly surprised. _Wow, this is her_ _ **and**_ _me? And even after I watched her shower afterwards?_

"Mm-hmm." Her arousal throws her earlier embarrassment over a cliff.

"Jesus, you've been walking around with traces of me inside you since this morning?" he hums with a sinister grin. To say that he is utterly pleased would be an understatement.

"Yes," Ana pants in excess desire. "And I need a refill."

"Anastasia…," he playfully feigns being vexed with one hand over his chest, "…you brazen goddess. Well, fortunately for you, your wish is always my command."

Glancing over to the side and behind her, she sees two pant legs standing in position. _He's still dressed? What is he going to do?_ Unbeknownst to Ana, Christian has dropped his trousers just enough to free his eager erection. Suddenly, he takes firm hold of the tie binding her wrists together behind her back before tapping her feet with his to spread her legs further apart. Then without warning, he plunges right into her. She gasps loudly, both in total shock and absolute relief.

From the start, he fucks her very rough, barring any mercy or build up. It's truly animalistic and it's everything that Ana both wanted and needed. All day, she more than yearned for him to do exactly this. It's as if he read her innermost thoughts. When she first arrived at Grey House, she had no idea what led her here. But in this moment of thunderous thrusts that pound the sturdy desk like an African drum beat, along with her screams of passion that composes a carnal melody like no other, it finally registers that _this_ is what she came for.

And now, she's ready to come. Hard.

"That's it. Right there. Let it all out and give it _all_ to me. All of the stress and the anguish…let me take it. Release it around my cock," he growls. "Let me be your therapy."

Ana screams his name as she convulses on the desk, yet he doesn't relinquish his torturous pace. And though his love for her is as gentle as a dove gliding across a sunlit sky, his lust is like molten lava burning everything in its path in the darkness. Just like her, Christian couldn't think of much else this morning except their superb marathon weekend together. Her showing up here is as if she picked up his pheromones released into the atmosphere from afar. There was an electricity inside that he couldn't bottle up if he tried, and Ana sensed it like a bright beacon across the ocean.

Christian is much too eager to keep fucking her until she begs to move in with him. Yet, she doesn't need to beg. His desire is for her to be his ' _all day'_ , every day, more than anything else on this earth.

"Your body belongs to me," he gasps. "Soon…I'll have your heart. You already have mine."

"Ah! _Ahhh_ …"

In record pace, Ana's ascends once more after just collapsing.

"I love you so much, baby," he labors. Even in a libidinous exchange, his tender heart can't help but seep through. It's who he's been since Ana first appeared in his life.

Just before she falls again, Christian is right there standing on the edge with her. Four more explosive pumps, and they dive into euphoria together. She screams louder than before as he fills her with his thickness and warmth as he'd done early this morning.

…

Ana saunters out of Christian's in-office bathroom that's equipped with a shower. Her red cheeks shine bright as Christian, whose tie has since returned around his neck, leans on the edge of his desk.

"Gosh, I was terribly loud." Ana's so embarrassed, she can barely look at him.

He sighs a chuckle. "Don't worry about it, baby. I like you loud. And besides, my office is fully soundproof."

She stops ten feet or so away from him. "It's obvious what we were doing in here. If not, those ladies out there will definitely know it after seeing me. I look a mess." Ana smooths down the phantom tendrils in her now slicked-back ponytail.

"You look absolutely beautiful."

"Of course, you'd say that."

"I wouldn't lie," Christian stresses somewhat harshly. As he pauses on a thought, his expression quickly softens. "You are literally the most beautiful thing I have ever seen. I don't care what your hair looks like, nothing will ever diminish that." Ana turns bashful all over again and he gestures her to take a seat next to her shoulder bag. She complies and sets her bag on the floor in order to make room for him. He joins her on the sofa and moves in closer until his knee presses against hers.

Suddenly, a thought that's been hounding Ana all weekend floats up to the surface.

"Those last two girls you were with. You said it wasn't a BDSM relationship."

"No," he answers immediately.

"Then what type of relationship was it? Was it just sex?"

"Mostly, yes."

"And this _sex_ …it didn't take place in your playroom, did it?"

Christian shakes his head. "My mind was already set to change that room into something else. For you."

He says all of the right things, but Ana can't help but wonder how this hot-blooded male quenched his raging desires. _Obviously, he wasn't just saving himself for me. He managed to keep his dick wet just fine while he waited for Elliot to screw up._

"So, where did you…" Ana stops. She feels that she's being too intrusive, yet she has so many questions.

He takes her hand. "I told you that I never had another woman in my bed, and I meant it. To answer your question, it would take place upstairs in one of the guest rooms. Specifically, the room where my submissives used to stay in."

Ana looks down at their intertwined fingers. Christian is gripping her tightly. He then takes his other hand and lifts up her chin.

"Say everything," he croons. " _Everything_." There is such a passion emitting from his gaze, that Ana knows he can spot bullshit from a mile away. She knows that whatever comes out of her mouth needs to be one hundred percent honest. No sugar coating. No bullshitting.

"What made these two women different from any of your other submissives?"

"Unlike my submissives, I would have very in-depth conversations with them. I would ask them how a woman expected to be treated. I wanted to know how they think. I wanted to know their greatest fears. These two women have experienced heartbreak before, which is why they decided to put their careers first from there on out. They never wanted to get married. I needed to understand what had gotten them to that point."

"So, what happened with the first one? Why didn't she remain?" Ana queries.

"Things were beginning to change for her as I got deeper inside of her emotions. She started to develop feelings for me. She was honest with me, which I absolutely appreciated. I told her right from the start that my heart belonged to someone else and that I was on a quest to prepare myself for her and only her. She understood at first and was good with the plan. But as things changed, she decided to pull away. She always respected the fact that I was upfront with her. I never used her."

Ana presses her lips together in a crooked line and shrugs her shoulders. "Sounds like you kind of did."

Christian shakes his head. "I didn't see it that way. I let her know up front what she was getting into. I made sure that she wasn't on a quest for love, because I surely wasn't. I was already deeply in love with someone else." He squeezes her hand, emphasizing exactly _who_.

Ana's head sinks down into her lap again. "What about the second woman?"

"It went very well. It ended naturally. Right when I started to pick up on my brother's indiscretions, I knew I had to clean house and get ready to receive you." He lifts her hand, pressing it firmly to his lips for an extended period of time. "I'm never letting you go, you know that? I'm not fucking this up, Ana. I've worked too damn hard to finally get you." He kisses her hand again.

Ana completely misses the tender moment. Instead, her jealous mind is still circling around these last two women. "If you wanted to know what exactly a woman wanted in a relationship, why didn't you just _ask_ any woman – like your mother? Why did you have to go _this_ route?"

"I couldn't be open with my mother since she didn't know everything about me. She also didn't know that I was falling in love with my brother's then-girlfriend. There were things that I could tell these two women that I couldn't tell Grace."

"So, there wasn't a period of time where you saw _both_ women?"

"No, of course not," he scoffs. "Like I said, the first woman was cut short because she admitted that she started having feelings for me and couldn't in good faith continue with our arrangement, which was highly admirable of her."

"And she walked away? Just like that?" Ana can't fathom why this woman didn't stay and fight for him like Christian fought for Ana.

"Yes, and it was easy because only one woman possessed my heart," he squeezes Ana's hand again. The hold is getting quite warm and clammy, but neither one is willing to release the other's hand. Christian searches her face and knows that there is something else that she's not saying. "Go ahead," he croons. "Say it."

She pulls in a deep breath. " _I_ …I hate thinking this way…"

"Just say it, baby. I'll take it just fine." The smile he gives could brighten up the night sky more than a million fireflies, and it sets Ana's core on fire.

"I'm struggling. I'm struggling with the fact that you could have these feelings for me, yet still have sex with other women. Look, I know it sounds strange coming from me, being that I was with your brother…"

"It was something I struggled with at the time, but I'd come to the conclusion that the act of sex meant absolutely nothing to me. It was just a physical urge…like eating. Sex with these women and every woman before them was akin to empty calories. But the moment you and I became close and began talking on the phone, I cut ties with the second girl. That was when I started learning directly from the source, _you_ , what you didn't want out of a relationship. I resolved to do the opposite of everything that hurt you whenever you gave me the chance."

As he kisses her hand again, Ana feels honored, but still, she's puzzled. He gives her a look that lets her know that he can read her better than anyone else. She's urged to speak.

"What was the one important thing you learned from that experience?"

Christian is confounded by her question. He didn't think she was going there. He smiles.

"Because I was abused as a young child before Grace and Carrick adopted me, I had a severe fear of being touched."

Just as he was thrown off, now, so is Ana. _What does he mean?_ _I've touched this man everywhere this past weekend._

"I used to have these no-go areas all over my body," Christian explains. "My family knew this. I remembered my sister, Mia, who tried to help me by talking me through my pain while she was battling with her own. When she left us, it was something that was still unresolved. Then years later, I laid eyes on you at my thirtieth birthday party and vowed that I would work up the courage to be _everything_ for you. So…I had the first of the two last women touch my back. _I_ …I couldn't go through with it."

Ana quivers at the pain radiating from his expression. She aches to pull him into her arms and squeeze that look of sadness away.

"The second woman touched my chest, and I immediately put a stop to it. It never happened again. I was convinced that no one was going to ever fully touch me. Then, when I finally got you, something broke. The fear of having you and then losing you was much more painful than the fear of being touched."

Ana fights back the tears in her eyes.

"But there was something else," he prefaces. "Your touch actually invigorated me. It was physical confirmation that you were finally _here_ – with _me_."

Christian takes both of her hands and places them on his chest, holding them down firmly. His eyes lock into hers and he doesn't move. The earlier tears that threatened to break from Ana's eyes suddenly fall free. Christian gently guides her hands down and pulls her body into his, holding her tightly.

"Thank you so much for giving me a chance to love you the _right_ way," he whispers into her ear before kissing her temple.

Ana sobs quietly, unable to speak in return.

…

 ** _(Three Days Later)_**

There was a time when Wednesday nights were reserved for knitting. But ever since Ana had broken up with Elliot, things were never quite the same between her and his mother. It was no wonder that Grace was stunned when Ana reached out to her yesterday to see if she was free for dinner. Fortunately, Grace was free, but if she wasn't, this was truly worthy of her moving things around just to be able to spend quality time with a dear friend who's been more like a daughter.

Grace arrives at El Gaucho early, giving her time to reflect over the past year. She's been feeling guilty these days for pushing Ana to date other men, especially her youngest son. Now that she's had time for the thought to sink in, she realizes how foolish she was to think that Ana would be willing to _'keep it in the family'_.

Her immediate plan of action when Ana arrives? To apologize.

She can't help but feel selfish for pressuring Ana into doing the unthinkable. And even though she is beyond disappointed at Elliot, he is still her son. It would be the ultimate betrayal for her to be the catalyst of bringing Christian and Ana together. _It's an impossible feat anyway. It would never, ever happen._

The matriarch's only hope is to walk away tonight with her and Ana's friendship somewhat intact. She knows that it's going to take time for the sting of Elliot to wear off of Ana, but she hopes that the young, bright woman sticks around and doesn't become a distant memory. Grace is able to separate Ana from the failed relationship with her oldest son. Now she wonders if Ana can do the same. _Can Ana separate herself from the man who committed the ultimate betrayal and remain close friends with me?_ These questions have parsed Grace's mind seemingly an infinite amount of times.

"Would you like anything else to drink besides water while you wait?"

The waitress stuns Grace out of her pondering and brings her back to the surface. "Water is fine for now, thank you. I'll wait on my friend before ordering wine."

"Very well."

 _My friend._ Grace tries to digest the phrase, but it doesn't completely sit right with her. _My… Daughter?_ For some reason, that one goes down much easier. It feels…natural. _Oh, if Elliot could've been a better man to her, then she would be that._ The very thought causes Grace's eyes to moisten a little.

If only things turned out differently, then her family would be celebrating instead of being divided. _Elliot just had to throw it all away._ It has been an ongoing cycle for the loving mother – sad one minute, angry the next. She's tempted to pay a professional visit to her longtime family friend and psychologist, John Flynn, in order to vent. Dr. Flynn has been Christian's therapist for many years, and she has seen Christian evolve into the strong man that he is today. There were dark days where Grace didn't think that her youngest son would ever make it, but he has since exceeded every expectation.

 _Hell, maybe I can convince Elliot to start seeing John?_

Grace glances at the watch on her wrist and her eyes widen at the realization that the time is right on the dot. Ana is usually early and never _just in time_. As seconds begin ticking away, she wonders if this will be the very first time that her former knitting partner will be tardy.

Looking around, Grace spies a striking couple holding hands up front as they scan the restaurant. As far as Grace can see, the two truly complement one another as they walk in lock step and hands linked, leaving the hostess behind. The young lady dons a blue pant suit that stops at the ankles, white lowcut blouse and black heels with matching clutch, while her guy is in a pristine ash-colored suit. _Armani?_ There's a sense of familiarity from a distance. Grace begins to regret not wearing her glasses more often, however, her near sightedness hardly ever causes a stir, especially in her line of work.

When the attractive couple get closer, Grace's eyes and mouth open wide.

 _No. It can't be._ Do her eyes deceive her?  
 _Am I sure this is water I'm drinking and not vodka?_

"Hey, mom."

Standing over her is Christian with Ana by his side. Grace is dumbstruck as the two finally unlink hands.

"Grace," Ana throws in with a guilty smile. Grace had expected a reservation for just two, but Ana managed to bring a surprise of epic proportion. It's not until Christian pulls Ana into his side and presses a long kiss on her cheek that Grace snaps out of her trance.

"Oh my God! When did _this_ happen?" Grace immediately leaps from her chair. She's overly excited without any regard for the curious onlookers seated nearby.

"Last weekend," Christian proudly beams.

Grace practically springs forward and gives Ana the biggest hug, causing Ana to chuckle. Grace pulls Ana away in order to get a better look at her. Grace notices that this is the first time she's ever seen Ana look this _radiant_. The matriarch realizes that the glowing doesn't stem from Ana's new wardrobe or the elegant way her chestnut hair pulls up into a chignon. Whatever it is, it flows deep. Nearly in tears, Grace pulls Ana in for another hug. "Oh goodness!" Her emotions tip over, and she sobs in happiness.

"Mom, let's sit."

Grace hears her son's humored tone in the background. But Dr. Trevelyan Grey is living in a dream right now. She has never seen such smiles on these two young people's faces, yet hers exceeds theirs. She finally releases Ana, but she can't stop gleaming and staring at her. Christian steps up to his mother and Grace instantly takes him in her arms. He squeezes her in return.

"You two," she chuckles through tears of joy. " _You_ have some explaining to do." She leans away from him. Still holding on to his rock-hard upper arms, she searches his brightly lit gray eyes.

"Can we sit first?" Christian smirks.

On cue, the waitress returns to greet the new arrivals.

…

 _And here I thought that a possible relationship between these two would be far-fetched._

 _Look at them!  
They are beyond perfect for each other!_

Grace has been on cloud nine ever since Ana arrived with Christian. She noticed how her son pulled out Ana's chair and held her hand until she was securely seated. Joy surges across Grace's heart every time she witnesses her son stealing loving glances at the gorgeous young woman by his side. She doesn't have to peek under the table to know that they occasionally hold hands. This is the first time she's ever seen her son in love, and it's truly a sight to behold.

With Christian, he's gone from zero to one thousand, skyrocketing past the many stages in between. This is such an extraordinary jump that Grace had to contemplate if she simply missed all the signs before now. It wasn't long ago when she thought of succumbing to the notion that her son could be gay or asexual, and that Elliot would be her last hope for grandchildren. Christian has never even brought a woman home to meet her, much less admired one in her very presence.

"So, you took Ana out to dinner on Friday, and here we are," Grace beams.

"Here we are," he croons.

As Christian gazes starry-eyed at Ana while she sips her wine, Grace immediately thinks, _No, this isn't a look of a gay or nonsexual man. My goodness, from the looks of it, if he could impregnate her now, he probably would._ Grace shakes away the thought coming from left field. _Grandkids will come later, hopefully. Let's get to the bottom of this new burgeoning relationship first._

Grace realizes that the change started not long after Christian's surprise thirtieth birthday celebration. Only then did he begin showing up regularly for family dinners. There was definitely a change in dynamic on Sundays when Elliot and Ana didn't show up. Christian never stayed very long on those days.

Memories of Christian engaging Ana in conversation flood back to Grace. She pictured her son fighting back a smile every time Ana spoke at the dinner table. Grace's eyes are now wide open. _He was in love with her from the start._ The memory of the first day when Christian showed up at the hospital to volunteer right beside Ana floats to the surface. _Yes – he was courting her. He wanted to be with her by any means._

Grace shifts her sight from Christian to Ana, who looks like a billion dollars in a stylish business ensemble that she's never seen Ana wear before. _I wonder if Christian bought it for her. It's very becoming._ Grace is seeing a whole new side of the young woman. Ana is not the same downtrodden woman worrying about when her guy will take her out on Fridays again, or even just call. This is the look of a woman who finally knows that she is loved, honored, and respected. _Funny how the right kind of love can do more wonders than any makeover ever could_ , Graces ponders with a secret smile.

"It works out that 4th happens to fall on a Saturday," Grace sparkles. The matriarch always puts on a big barbeque at her lakefront home and caps off the night with a spectacular fireworks display.

Ana's expression immediately drops, and Christian speaks up. "I don't think it's a good idea that Ana and I show up at the house. Especially if Elliot will be there."

 _Oh. I hadn't thought about that_. Grace had been so excited to share the new couple with the world that she didn't consider the potential backlash that will come with her youngest son dating her oldest son's ex. Still, the 4th won't be the same if both of her children and Ana skip out.

"You have to come," Grace insists. "How about the two of you play it cool until Elliot gets used to the idea? We can even keep your relationship a secret a while longer if you think that's best. I just want my whole family there." She focuses her attention on Ana letting her know that she's indeed a part of that.

Ana sighs. "Me being there will put Elliot in a very awkward position. We only broke up three months ago. I think I should lay low until the news about Christian and me comes out slowly over time."

Grace isn't happy with the idea, but she completely understands. She turns and looks at Christian. "I hate splitting you two up on a Saturday, but will you at least be making an appearance?" Christian shakes his head, and she gapes at him. "You couldn't possibly be working on a holiday."

Christian smiles and turns to Ana at his side who's already looking at him. He takes her by the hand before looking back at his mother. "We'll be in Central Oregon." Neither he nor Ana feel up to dealing with his brother. They'd rather relive last weekend instead.

Grace springs back to life. "That's wonderful! I just know you two will have a fantastic time there. Central Oregon is such a beautiful place."

…

It's still daylight when the GEH jet lands in Bend. Taylor immediately greets Christian and Ana on the tarmac with a black SUV, and the pair climb into the back seat while valets expeditiously load their weekend luggage from the jet to the trunk of the auto.

As Taylor drives from the grounds, Christian begs for Ana's pardon as he takes a business call. She barely had a chance to breathe since the start of their whirlwind romance exactly a week ago. Since then, Christian has been insisting that she moves in with him in his palatial penthouse apartment. And even though Ana has spent practically every night there, she hasn't given him a clear answer.

Ana is deathly afraid of falling irrevocably in love with this man.

"I'll be in late on Monday," he tells whoever he's speaking to on the phone. "Try not to call unless it's an emergency. I expect you to enjoy your holiday with your family. Work can wait."

Ana smiles as she takes in the lush green trees and grass. Everywhere she looks, the landscaping is very well-kept. _Bend is definitely an upscale community_ , she thinks. Ana turns just in time to glance at a makeshift fireworks storefront. The parking lot is nearly full. Immediately, Ana reflects back to a time when she and Ray would go into a store similar to it just before July and nearly buy up the whole place. She adored fireworks as a child.

As an adult, her new fondness of the season came with spending the holiday at the Grey's lakefront property and witnessing their jaw dropping fireworks show. _Too bad I had to miss it this year,_ she broods.

"What are you looking at?"

Ana startles, not realizing that Christian had ended his call. Gazing deep into her eyes, he pulls her hand to his soft lips and holds it there for a time. Ana's heart skips a beat. He deeply inhales, as to take her in. He slowly lowers her hand on the leather bench seat in between them, refusing to let go.

"I saw a fireworks store and it reminded me when I used to light them up with Ray."

Christian frowns. "Fireworks are extremely dangerous."

"They are _fun_ ," she chuckles. _His overly-protective ways are going to take time getting used to_ , Ana thinks. "I've never known anyone to get hurt using them. Before I could even talk, my dad would let me hold my own sparklers. While my friends were scared that the fire might jump off and burn them, I'd be amazed at how they sparked and hissed so wildly. The embers would fly everywhere, and still, I wouldn't get burnt. From that point on, I preferred having sparklers on my birthday cake over plain ol' candles."

Christian is so amused by the way she fondly recalls her childhood, that he can't help but think back to his and see that the glass was half full the whole time. He's grateful that he can now look in hindsight and see the good, even though at the time he was very reluctant to receive the love of his adoptive family.

Back then, he didn't think he deserved it.

...

Ana has been enraptured from the moment they entered the massive, gorgeous luxury rental cabin facing the Deschutes River. The sun has since set in the forest an hour after dinner, yet she stands in the master bedroom at the open sliding glass door separated by a protective screen, admiring the view. The balcony nearly spans the entire width of the cabin. Ana sets her sight on the second of two hot tubs. The first is down below next to the pool.

The thought of a pool makes her body shiver. She doubts that there will be a repeat of last weekend in the great outdoors. Even so, she's certain something is about to happen as her eyes rise to the full moon that's illuminating the river below. Christian stands behind her, lifting her hair over to one side before kissing the back of her neck. Soon, he's lifting her blouse over her head. He had picked Ana up from work and the two of them headed straight for Boeing Field to take off for Bend, so she's still in her work attire.

After he unclasps her bra, he spins her around to face him before he tugs it away from her arms. His eyes are locked in with hers as his mouth goes below her chin and teases her breasts. Ana moans. As the rushing blood throbs in her ears, she can still hear the bath running. At this rate, she's unsure that they will even make it there before the water overflows.

…

" _Ah!_ " Ana cries out as Christian grunts with each powerful thrust.

The two are in bed for round three, losing all track of time. _What a way to spend the fourth_ , Ana thinks to herself. _Talk about fireworks._

She can't imagine ever getting tired of _this_. Still, she can't pinpoint what's making her prolong her decision to move in with him. Christian is perfect. He's everything she's ever wanted in a man from what she's seen.

 _But it's only been a week.  
What will happen next month?_

She knows that once Christian's business comes a-calling, he'll be one-hundred percent committed to that. _And then he'll be spending a lot of time with the cute secretary. No, secretaries – plural._ Ana feels the lump forming quickly in her throat.

"Get out of your head, Anastasia," Christian growls, pulling her out of her internal web. "This is real. Quit trying to understand it. You can't. You only need to receive it."

He pumps harder, faster, all the while his laser sharp fiery gray eyes are on her pensive blues.

"I. Love. You."

His gritty declaration breaks something deep inside of Ana and she lets go, crashing hard.

…

Christian was awakened this morning by a smell; a glorious smell. His eyes battled against the sun beaming in the master bedroom. When he finally got them to open, he realized that Ana was already up and cooking breakfast. _I can get used to this_ , he thought.

Not long after they ate, the two venture out to hike the Farewell Bend River trail. Ana stops and takes in the view of the lush forest and majestic river. She chuckles thinking back to how Christian couldn't stop spraying her with insect repellant and he still bothered to pack a full bottle of the stuff in his backpack. As she groaned, he harped about how mosquitos and ticks carry lime disease. _He's a zealot when it comes to my safety._ A thought about how he'd be as a father quickly comes and leaves her mind. In fact, Ana intentionally halts it. She doesn't want to think that far. They are only one week into this shiny new thing. At this point, she feels it's in her best interest to err on the side of caution, regardless of how many times he tells her to trust him. She trusted this man's brother – _and look how well that turned out_.

For now, Ana promises to take things one day at a time. She's having an absolute blast with Christian and that's all that matters. For now.

…

"I'm _so_ sorry. Fire drill," Christian explains the moment he strides into the kitchen, stopping at the small dining table. "It's all under control. I even turned off my phone."

Christian catches a whiff of a familiar smell and pulls it into his nostrils even more.

"What did you make?" he smirks as Ana retrieves something from the utensil drawer.

"Pie."

Instead of her face, he can only see her gorgeous round bottom through her tan leggings at the moment, but he can tell from the silky tone of her voice that she's definitely up to something.

"What kind?"

"Apple."

"Hmm," he contemplates. "That wouldn't happen to be my mom's famous apple pie, would it? She'd never share that recipe with anyone."

After placing a silver spatula next to the pie cooling on the counter to retrieve a plate, Ana turns and looks at Christian. "Except for me."

"You're kidding," he smirks.

Ana nods. "Nope. I'm the only other person alive that knows the recipe besides Grandma Trevelyan and your mother. I've been sworn to secrecy." She cuts a slice of pie with the spatula and places it on the small plate. She walks it over to Christian along with a dessert fork and places it in front of him.

Instead of grabbing the pie, he grabs her, wrapping his arms around the small of her waist. "Well, it's official. You'll have to marry me now. That recipe can only stay in the family."

Tilting her head all the way up to see him, Ana teasingly narrows her eyes. "Is that so?" She may be calm, but her heart is racing. _He shouldn't play like that._

He lowers his mouth to claim hers and does. "Yep. That's the rule. I don't make these things up."

"Marriage?" she whispers, now nervous.

"Uh huh," he kisses her again. "But we'll broach that later." His tongue breaches her mouth, and it doesn't take long for things to heat up. He pulls away with a loud smack. "But first..." he starts again, falling back briefly into the kiss, "…I want you to move in with me."

 _It took the last guy over two years just to give me a fucking key, yet this one hasn't let up on the idea of me moving in with him ever since our first weekend together. And now he's talking marriage after just a week?_ Ana feels like she's caught up in a whirlwind. She's afraid that once the tornado stops spinning, she'll drop to her death.

 _If this man ever betrays me, there's no coming back._

But Christian's kiss grows stronger than the infinite thoughts forming a battlefield in her head. The second Ana groans, he spins her around and pushes her face first into the table. His hand slides under the elastic waistband in the front of her leggings, and she pants louder. He leans down over her, pushing her ponytail over to one side to ravage her throat, while his hand begins a torturous rhythm down below.

"I want to give you the world, Ana. Will you let me do that?" he whispers sweetly in his ear. "It's the only reason why I'll continue to work as hard as I do. It's no longer just about me anymore. You know that, right?"

Ana gasps. For the past week, Christian has been saying these jaw-dropping things, leaving her no room to respond.

"Aren't you going to eat your pie?" she finally says, panting.

He growls before taking her earlobe in between his teeth. Ana gasps even louder.

"You want me to eat the pie?" he growls.

Ana chuckles. "Well, it would be nice. I, at least, would like to know if I've done it justice."

To her shock, he peels her from the table and spins her around, nearly knocking the wind right out of her. He then drops to his knees and yanks down her leggings and underwear.

"Wait!" she tries to halt him. "Not _that_ pie." Her pants are already off before he lifts her up in the air and places her on the table top. She gasps at the cold wood surface against her naked skin.

"Lean back," he commands with hungry eyes.

"What are you doing?" she giggles.

"Lean back," he orders again.

Ana sighs before leaning back on her elbows, not taking her eyes off him. Christian then takes the plate and after breaking off a portion of the apple pie with the fork and slides it onto her pelvis. Her eyes open wide. _Lord Jesus, he's_ _ **not**_ _about to do that._ But soon, with no hands, Christian's mouth is on both the pie _and_ her. _Lord Jesus, he's doing it. Thank goodness it's still a little warm._

"Mmm," he hums. "This is even better than I imagined."

He looks just like a cannibal; a savage, and it's turning Ana on beyond measure.

She cries out as his tongue relentlessly laps the apple filling off of her clitoris. She's barely able to keep her eyes open to observe him, it's feels _that_ good. Soon, Christian scoops another chunk of pie onto her sex and he's eating that off of her like a starving man. When there's no more pie left on the plate, he devours her, too. It doesn't take long for Ana to scream out her orgasm.

"You want me to fuck you on this table, baby?" he coos down below as she slowly starts to come to her senses.

"Yes," she begs with burning desire.

Christian stands, yanks down his jeans along with his boxer briefs, and pulls her by her legs, bringing her closer to the edge. He stands square in the middle of her and closes in, his fingers gripping her hips.

"I can't _wait_ to make you my wife," he exhales before plunging into her, and she immediately cries out. Their connection is sticky and sweet, but moist and decadent, sending the pair out of their natural minds.

Christian doesn't give Ana an opportunity to think or respond to such a major declaration before claiming her body with all his might.

* * *

 ** _(THE PAST – 9 months ago)_**

"Well, I turned down the director job," Ana sighs over the call coming through the speakers of her car.

"You _didn't_ ," Carla gasps in disbelief.

"I think I need to focus on making my relationship with Elliot work. I see what being a workaholic does to him. We can't afford for the both of us to be that way. We hardly ever see each other as it is."

"I don't know, Ana," her mother sighs. "Don't you fear that you're sacrificing your career for something that may not even work out?"

Ana immediately turns hot. "Gee mom, thanks for the positivity."

"No – no, please don't misunderstand me," Carla immediately stops the thought. "I want you two to work more than anyone. You know how much I adore Elliot. I just don't want you to regret your decision to put your flourishing career on hold. Elliot is certainly going full speed ahead with his business. Has he made any sacrifices, or has it been just you?"

Ana knows that her mother makes an extremely valid point. "So far, it's just been me. That's how it seems, anyway. I'm going to tell him that I'm in this for keeps. Then I need to know exactly where he stands on the matter."

"Excellent idea. _What Bob?"_ Carla interrupted. _"I'm on the phone with Ana_ …"

Ana can't quite make out the mumbling taking place in the background.

" _Alright._ Hey Sweetheart. Sorry to cut this short, but Bob and I need to run to the twenty-four-hour drugstore for some foot cream. He's in agony."

Ana frowns. _Foot cream?_

"Getting old absolutely sucks," Carla groans. "Don't do it."

Ana laughs before the two women say their _I love yous_ and hang up.

Seattle rush hour traffic refuses to let up. Ana hates that a simple ten-mile drive can sometimes take up to an hour. She's swimming in frustration and boredom. She hates listening to the radio these days. They only play the same ten songs over and over again. In times like these, she wishes she can call Elliot. However, it's very seldom that he's not on a jobsite and available to take her call.

All of a sudden, she flirts with the idea of calling Christian. _Heck, he was the one who asked if he could call again to chat during rush hour in order to help pass the time._ But Christian Grey is a _huge_ deal. If Elliot is busy, his brother is for certain in the middle of a high-profile meeting or hobnobbing with some bigtime politician.

 _Heck, I'll call anyway.  
If he doesn't pick up or if he can't talk, I won't ever call him again._

Before she knows it, Ana is selecting his name while in standstill traffic and pressing the _call_ button.

He picks up on the very first ring.

 _Holy shit._

"Hey there," he croons.

"Hi," Ana nervously giggles. "Guess where I am?"

"In traffic?"

"Ding-ding-ding! Chuck, tell Christian what he just won!"

His bass-driven chuckle nudges something deep within her. This man isn't one who laughs very often. She has however had the pleasure of witnessing his gorgeous smile from time to time. It's odd because she has never seen him smiling in photographs.

 _Why are you always so serious, Christian Grey?  
Humor and a smile look fantastic on you._

 _I wonder if he has a girlfriend now._

For some odd reason, the thought doesn't quite sit well with her.

 _Why should I even care?_

"Did I catch you at a bad time?" Ana asks.

"No, not at all."

"You wouldn't be in traffic as well?"

"Not yet. I'm still at the office. Actually, I was just shutting down my computer. You called at the perfect time."

"I'm a mind reader. Yay me."

He snorts. "You're hilarious, you know that?"

"I try."

The two soon shift into a discussion about GEH, and Ana proceeds to ask him a ton of follow-up questions concerning what actions his recent meetings will result in. She is fascinated…no… _amazed_ by the work Christian is doing in order to aid the environment.

"You ever think about your sister in your business? I mean…would she be helping you today if she were here?"

As soon as the words come flying out of Ana's mouth, she instantly regrets them. She remembers Grace mentioning that in addition to Elliot, Christian doesn't really like talking about Mia all that much either. _Let's hope he doesn't decide to hang up on me._ She's eager to apologize.

"I…"

Christian immediately cuts her off. "Mia wouldn't be caught dead in an office job," he chuckles at both the irony and the reality. "She was always a hands-on, creative type of person. Meetings bored her."

Ana's eyes open wide. _He's really going to talk about her. Wow._

"What do you think she'd be doing instead?"

"She'd probably be head chef at some hoity toity restaurant in Paris…or Dubai. She absolutely loved to cook. I enjoyed her cooking the best, next to my mother's, of course."

"That's pretty cool."

"Yeah. I remember when she was seven and her, Elliot and I were playing a game of hide and go seek. We searched for her for _hours_. Eventually, Elliot and I called it quits and went to the kitchen for a snack. There was Mia – standing on a chair over the stove, making grilled cheese sandwiches for all of us. We had no idea the girl could even cook. ' _You boys were too lame to find me_ ,' she said, ' _so I decided to stop hiding and make lunch_.'"

Ana bursts out laughing.

"You and Mia would've absolutely gotten along," Christian utters fondly.

Ana can't help but shed a tear at the remark.

"I really wished I'd gotten the chance to meet her."

…

"I hope you're not planning on going out knitting with my mother tomorrow night," Elliot says immediately after opening the door.

Peering out from the kitchen, Ana wasn't expecting him to show up tonight. This is definitely a pleasant surprise for her.

"Well, hello to you, too," she mutters snarkily before returning to the stove.

He ignores her snide remark and kisses her on the cheek as she stirs the pasta. "You've been spending a little too much time with Grace these days."

"I actually missed knitting last Wednesday."

"Only because it was your birthday and we went out."

"You expect me to ditch your mom two weeks in a row?"

"Yep," he responds in a humorous tone. But Ana knows that he's all but making a joke. This is not the first time he's commented about her spending too much time with his mother.

Ana realizes that by her being extremely close to his family, it puts Elliot in a very tight spot. Never would she ever bring up the fact that she has talked to his brother on the phone tonight and on one other occasion. Ana resolves to not only let up on being Grace's daily partner in crime, but she also makes a mental note to stop calling Christian for rush hour relief.

"Let's go to the movies tomorrow," he spontaneously suggests.

"On a _Wednesday_?" Ana frowns.

"Why not?" he kisses her on the cheek again. "Let's do something out of the ordinary for a change."

She turns from the stove and they kiss on the mouth. The kiss grows passionate.

 _Maybe I don't have to have the 'for keeps' conversation with him after all_ , Ana thinks to herself.

 _Seems like he's finally putting forth the effort._

…

 ** _(Six Days Later)_**

Ana can't help but feel a small tinge of guilt for avoiding Grace these past couple of weeks. The doctor has been blowing up Ana's phone non-stop. Not only did Ana ditch knitting, but she's turned down every invitation for lunch. Yesterday, she and Elliot also opted to stay at the apartment and play cards with Kate instead of making the trek over to Bellevue for dinner.

It was no surprise when the front office called Ana to let her know that Grace was waiting to see her in the lobby.

 _Oh boy._

"Hey," Ana sighs when she lays eyes on Grace. They quickly hug in greeting. "Is everything okay?"

"That's what I'm here to find out. You and Elliot haven't been answering any of my calls."

Ana feels stuck between a rock and a hard place. _Perhaps I need to tell her what's going on so she can stop worrying._ "I have a meeting in thirty minutes, but we can step out and talk for a moment if you'd like?"

"Sure," Grace nods.

Not long afterwards, the two women take a seat on a bench in the heart of Rainier Square.

"So, what's been going on?" Grace's brows knit in concern.

"Elliot has been a little upset at me for spending too much time with you and discussing our relationship. He asked me to pull back some," Ana awkwardly shows her bottom row of teeth.

"What?!" Grace squawks.

Ana can only shrug in response. She feels guilty and sadden that she has to break it to Grace in this way, but she can only avoid Elliot's mother for so long.

"Well, you can tell my son to get over it and get through his thick skull that you and I are good _friends_."

"I agree…"

"Look, if it makes him feel better, I will promise that any discussion concerning your relationship is off limits. I mean…is that the only problem he has with us hanging out?"

"I believe so." Ana's unsure of things herself. She just knows that Elliot has been around a lot recently and she doesn't want to jeopardize their progress.

"If Elliot was thinking about this the right way, any friendship between us is for his benefit, especially down the line if the two of you were ever to get married."

"I know," Ana smiles.

...

 ** _(Six Days Later)_**

"You know, I was thinking about trying that all-almond diet…but that's just _nuts_ ," Carrick quips.

At the other end, Grace puts her face in her hands in shame, while Elliot and Christian groan in agony. Ana's the only person at the table that gives Carrick a pity-laugh.

"If I ever tell dad jokes when I'm old, _please_ , shoot me," Elliot sighs.

"Gladly," Christian replies.

Grace is back in her element with both her boys and Ana at Sunday dinner. She can't stop smiling. "You know, remember that time when Mia told you before the daddy-daughter dance to not to tell any jokes and embarrass her in front of her friends?" Carrick chuckles at the fond memory.

"I remember," Christian smirks.

All of a sudden, Elliot's mood drops to zero. He stands up and leaves. Ana gapes at everyone left at the table as they stare at where Elliot just disappeared to. As Ana rises to go after him, Christian's expression morphs to annoyed. After a few minutes, Grace walks over to the living room and looks through the window to the back where she sees Elliot and Ana heading towards the boathouse. They stop walking for a moment and Ana's hand rises to massage his hair. Elliot places his hand on the small of her back and the two lean in and kiss.

Grace lips press into a line. _Ana is wonderful for Elliot, but she needs to stop babying him. He's never gotten over losing his little sister. No one in this family has, but he's the only one that completely shuts down every time Mia is brought up in conversations._

…

Ana wakes up in the middle of the night with Elliot curled up around her. She does her best to peel away and sneak off to the bathroom. When she returns, something glows brightly from the bedside dresser. Instead of climbing back into bed, she rounds it and peers on the dresser.

 _Elliot's phone._

The screen displays a text with a local number with no name, obviously someone who's not in his contact list.

 ** _Are you up?_**

 _It's probably the wrong number_ , Ana thinks. She's received strange texts all the time. Before she can think to turn back around and climb into bed, the screen illuminates yet again.

 ** _I was just thinking about you singing the  
alphabet against my pussy like you did last time.  
Can't wait 'til you do that again.  
Laters, baby._**

 _What?!_

Ana now knows without a doubt that wasn't a wrong number. If only she had his password to unlock his phone and reply to the mystery sexter. It takes all of her strength not to yank Elliot out of bed and demand answers.

…

"What's your problem?" Elliot frowns as he walks over to the coffee maker with mug in hand.

"I used the bathroom last night and so happen to catch an anonymous text come across your phone talking about _the alphabet_. You mind telling me what that's all about?"

He spins on his heel before having a chance to pour himself some coffee. "You mind telling me why you've been snooping around my shit?" he hisses.

"I _wasn't_ snooping!" Ana yells. "Your phone lit up the entire room at two in the morning! Hey, if you're going to cheat, at least be smarter about it!"

"I have no fucking idea who that text was from!" he shouts back, affronted.

"Well, that text was _pretty_ specific. It was definitely meant for you."

"It wasn't. That text could've been for anyone."

"How many people lick their lover's vagina to the tune of the ABC's?" she counters.

"Ana, you are being ridiculous!" he scoffs. "Wait, do _you_ have something to hide? I mean…why are you being so accusatory?"

"Are you fucking kidding me right now?!" Ana rages. "Don't you dare pull that reverse psychology bullshit on me!"

All Elliot does is shrug in response as to say, _Well, if the shoe fits._

"I was going to cook breakfast, but I changed my mind! You can eat McDonald's for all I care! I'm going in to work early!" Ana shouts.

"Fine!" he raises his voice back.

Ana storms out the kitchen, while Elliot follows her out to get dress and leave her apartment.

…

By some longshot, Grace thought she'd try her luck and see if Ana was free for lunch today. She hadn't had a chance to check on Elliot after he'd stormed off when Mia was brought up. The moment Ana picks up the phone, Grace can tell that she's not in good spirits.

"You wanna talk about it over lunch today?"

"I… I don't know."

"I'll just listen. I won't judge. Promise."

Ana sighs. "Sure."

"How about that pizza place we like that's near your building?"

…

As Ana carefully skates around reality, Grace knows that whatever is wrong with her is much greater than just " _a small fight_ ". Grace can't help but think back to something Christian once told her. Her youngest son believes that Elliot will screw things up because a tiger simply can't change his stripes.

Grace knows that she promised Ana to only listen, but she can't help but tell the young woman what's really on her mind.

"Ana, look – I love my son more than anything. But if he's in the wrong, I can't side with him, I'm sorry. And I don't care what he says, it's good to talk to someone who knows him well and can give you some insight on how to deal with him."

Ana thinks long and hard, but she doesn't feel it's right to talk about Elliot behind his back with his mother. "I… I don't know."

"Ana, you and I are good friends first. Even though you're involved with my son, I can still treat this as I'd treat the Hippocratic Oath."

It's hard for Ana to take what she hears as face value, because this whole thing is so touchy for her. _Grace is my boyfriend's mother, for crying out loud._ But after more pulling and prodding, Grace finally strikes a nerve.

Ana decides to spill.

"When things are good with Elliot, they are really good. But when they are bad, they are awful," Ana whispers with shaky breath. "For example, he absolutely hates it when I call or text him after he's told me he's working late."

" _What_?" Grace gapes.

"So, imagine my surprise when I saw a text on his phone from an unknown number in the middle of the night that implied he's been cheating on me."

Grace nearly blows a gasket but restrains herself.

"I'm sure he's going to want to talk about it once he calms down," Ana assures her, but that tidbit doesn't satisfy the mom.

"I promised the two of you I'd stay out of your relationship, and I will. But I know one thing – he's crazy about you. This is the first time he's functioned with more than half a brain," she groans. "Give him the benefit of the doubt as he continues to clean out the skeletons of his past. I'm pretty sure that was just an old fling that texted who had no idea that he is involved with you. I saw how the two of you were yesterday on the way to the boathouse. Elliot absolutely adores you. He wouldn't dare mess up a good thing."

 _Well, for everyone's sake, I hope you're right,_ Ana thinks to herself.

…

Ana returns to her office from lunch to a dozen roses sitting in a clear vase on her desk. She's unimpressed, although April and Sherrie remarked that the gesture was _very adorable_. He did include a sweet note with instructions for some sort of scavenger hunt. Elliot texts her not long afterwards.

 ** _Did you read the note?_**

 ** _I don't feel like playing games.  
We need to talk._**

 ** _Stop being a spoiled sport and play along.  
The hunt pertains to things that  
will remind you of how we met._**

 _Damn it, why does he have to be so cute_? Ana laments to herself.

…

Just after seven o'clock, Ana finds herself in the back lot of Canlis where Elliot reveals himself while holding another bouquet of roses. Ana doesn't know if it's fatigue from running around for two-hours, or if it's the goofy smile on her boyfriend's face, but she loses her sense of judgment and hugs him back after he wraps his arms around her.

"This is where the start of our _forever_ was sealed," he murmurs in her ear. "The moment you gave me a chance, that was it. You were doomed."

Ana can't help but laugh. "Way to sell me on _us_ , champ."

Elliot kisses her on the cheek. "I try." He pulls away and looks her square in the eye. "By the way, that bitch who texted me was a psycho I dated years ago. I swear, I wouldn't cheat on you. I _love_ you, Ana." He hands her the roses, and she takes them. He then leans in and kisses her softly on the lips.

"I love you, too," she mutters. "Is there a reason you ended the hunt here, because I'm starving," she laughs.

"I'm hungry too, but nope, I couldn't score us a last-minute reservation. We can try that seafood place near your apartment."

"Sure," Ana beams.

…

Finally, Grace succeeded in pinning down her oldest son for a lunch date. The two of them meet at a sandwich spot not too far from the Grey Construction offices.

"Ana is so perfect for you. I've never seen you so… _this_ ," Grace gestures at him, unable to perfectly articulate her thoughts.

"I know," Elliot laughs.

"Can I be candid?" she prefaces. "You're not getting any younger."

"I know that," he smirks.

"Are you in love with Ana?"

"Of _course_ ," he says sincerely. "Why would you even ask me that?"

"So, is marriage in the cards?"

"Eventually." Elliot takes a calculated breath and studies his mother from across the table. "Don't you worry, Grace – Ana Steele isn't going _any_ -where. I know how close the two of you are."

A rush of relief suddenly flows through her. Even though she wasn't looking for him to say those exact words, she's beyond thrilled that he does.

Still, she can't help but think about the tiger not changing his stripes. That nagging feeling that's deep inside hasn't stopped pulsating.

...

 ** _(Two Weeks and Two Days Later)_**

Christian meets his mother for lunch at The Pink Door and the two catch up from the last time they saw each other on Sunday. In the middle of their conversation, something catches Grace's eye over by the greeting stand. She quickly turns sideways in her chair.

"What?" Christian furrows his brow.

"Elliot's here," Grace mutters. Christian gears himself to turn in his chair. "Don't around turn!" she whispers loudly. "He'll see you!"

Christian frowns even harder. "What? I can't say _hi_?"

"He's with a blonde and they are standing a little too close for comfort." _It's someone other than the secretary I saw him feeling up_ , Grace bitterly recalls.

"It figures." Christian immediately turns sour. _Elliot, Elliot, Elliot – you fucking idiot._ "I mean, what did you expect?"

"Not _this_. I should say something."

"No," he holds his mother's hand against the table, stopping her from any sudden movement. "Stay out of it."

"I can't do that. He promised me that he wasn't…"

The moment her oldest son kisses the woman on the cheek, Grace springs up with her purse in hand. "I _can't_ watch this and not do anything about it!"

Christian is baffled. "Where…"

"I'll be in the bathroom." Without another word, Grace hightails it to the ladies' room and hides out. Christian turns in his chair and watches as his brother hugs another woman who's not Ana. The woman currently giggling is a different blonde than the one Christian saw Elliot with at the _other_ Italian restaurant following his mother's big speech.

 _Elliot definitely has a type he likes to creep around with_ _ **and**_ _a routine._

 _Man-skank._

 _Ana doesn't deserve this._

The hostess says something to Elliot and his…lunchmate that causes them to turn around and head out the door. _If they didn't already have a reservation here, there was no way they were waiting under an hour to get a table_ , Christian ponders.

He texts his mother to let her know that Elliot just left. When Grace resurfaces, she tells her son that she is ready to leave.

While in the back seat of Christian's car, Grace goes off on a nonstop tangent.

"I'm **_so_** mad at him!"

"Mom, promise me you won't get involved." _She will fuck this whole thing up if she's not careful_ , Christian thinks to himself. _I've got this handled. Let Elliot continue to dig his own grave._ "This is between Elliot and Ana." _And me._

"You know, a nurse at work recently told me Elliot was still seeing Amber. I didn't believe her. But _now_ …"

" _Amber_?" Christian scoffs. _The fallback ex._ "Again, I am _not_ surprised. I warned you that he would be up to his old tricks."

Grace bursts into sobs. "This is bad! This is _really_ bad! Elliot is absolutely destroying the best thing that's ever happened to him! Ana has already been hurt by him! This will _devastate_ her!"

"Which is why I told you to stay out of it," Christian barks. _I'm taking care of it._ "The moment you get involved you will muddy the waters. Right now, Elliot can keep on telling Ana lies and get away with it. She will have to see him with her own two eyes, which she eventually will. The man had two choices – either get his shit together or continue along his normal path to self-destruction. He's made his decision. Now, let Ana make hers." _And I hope she makes the right call when the time comes._ "You can't help her _or_ him at this point."

Grace is flustered. "Why can't Elliot just get his act together?!"

"He's a sociopath, mother." Grace gapes at Christian. "And don't try and confront him about that woman he was just hugged up on. He'll simply deny it."

"What are you talking about? This is my son, _your_ brother we're talking about! Not some… slimy politician!"

"Elliot could run for any government office and win, _easily_. That's how terrible of a human being he is."

"Christian!" Grace scolds.

" _Well_ ," he shrugs nonchalantly.

 _Keep up the swell work, dear brother_ , Christian meditates.

 _You're only pushing my dream girl further away from you and right into my arms._

…

"Grace, calm down," Carrick coos in his wife's ear. The two are cuddled on the sofa. "I agree with Christian. Stay out of it. You continue to see one thing, yet Elliot tells you another. If he refuses to be honest, there's nothing you can do about that. And by all means, don't tell Ana what you saw."

"Agreed," Grace adamantly replies. "I don't want her flying off the handle either. She'll leave him the moment I tell her, and I don't want that to happen. _They_ need to talk. You know…if Elliot was smart, he'd personally come clean to her. Perhaps she'll forgive him, and they can start all over from scratch."

"What if I had a man to man talk with him?"

"Or maybe I should have one last talk with him and express how important it is to treat his girlfriend right _and_ not lie to his mother. His blatant disrespect for both Ana and me is interconnected," Grace preaches.

"It's worth a shot," Carrick encourages. "And if that doesn't work, I'll jump in next."

…

 ** _(The Next Day)_**

Once again over lunch, Elliot simply nods and sighs while doling out countless _I know, moms_ to Grace. By the time the two go their separate ways, Grace knows that her son pretty much peed on her the entire time and told her that it was raining.

 _He's definitely up to his old tricks._

Feeling backed up against a corner, Grace decides to secretly hire a private investigator.

…

 ** _(Two Days Later)_**

When Elliot and Ana show up to Sunday dinner all lovey dovey, Grace and Christian can't help but be taken aback. After dinner but before dessert, Grace calls Christian to the kitchen to help her with some of the dishes.

"I wonder what in world he did this time to make her come back around," Grace whispers.

"I don't want to know what he did," Christian mutters through gritted teeth.

"He's always buttering her up. Just the other day, they got into another argument about him not arriving at her apartment until very late."

"In the end, he's going to destroy that girl's heart." _I'll definitely have my work cut out for me when that happens_ , he immediately thinks.

"I know," Grace quietly shakes with fear.

The pair are startled when Elliot breezes into the kitchen. While Grace remains a little skittish, Christian maintains his cool.

"Hey, what's going on with you two?" Elliot chuckles. "You both have been acting kind of weird all night."

"Mom's upset that her hunky housekeeper didn't bake the buns in time," Christian conjures up. Grace rolls her eyes.

"You know, it's hard to find good help these days. At least Gretchen always knew when to prepare the buns. Too bad she quit. Man, I sure do miss seeing _her_ buns."

It takes the strength of a thousand men to keep Christian from punching his brother directly in his throat, while Grace is incapable of hiding her disgust.

"You two are no fun. You obviously can't take a joke," Elliot chuckles like a frat boy jackass.

 _Like the cruel joke you're playing on Ana by pretending you really love her, when you don't?_ Christian is _so very close_ to saying the words out loud.

Thankfully, Carrick and Ana join them before things head further south.

"Is the party in here now?" Carrick quips. "I told Ana that I should make my famous cocktails to go along with dessert."

Ana beams with excitement. "Carrick says he makes a mean lemon drop martini."

"Beware," Christian smirks. "He makes them _pretty lethal_."

Grace chuckles. "But they are mighty delicious, honey," she says before kissing her husband on the cheek. "I'll take two." Both Christian and Elliot snicker at her. _I'm serious,_ Grace thinks. _I need to get drunk. I can't soberly continue to watch this lie go on right before my very eyes._

Out of nowhere, Elliot pulls Ana into his arms, stunning everyone in the kitchen. And just as Grace did to Carrick, Elliot kisses his girlfriend on the cheek and she snuggles up against him, beaming like a woman who absolutely has no idea what her boyfriend has been up to behind her back.

Unable to pretend anymore that everything is okay, Christian gingerly leaves the kitchen.

...

 ** _(One Month Later)_**

The private investigator enters Grace's office at the hospital first thing in the morning. He shows her photographs on his iPad of Elliot making out with several different women in public during the course of a month. The PI also shows her snaps of Elliot taking females into his apartment one moment, before showing those same females doing the walk of shame all alone in the early morning hours. There's also photographs of Elliot taking women into hotels.

Grace is beyond mortified. An earlier conversation between her and Ana suddenly comes to light when Ana explained to her that she rarely ever goes to Elliot's place; he only comes to hers.

 _I'm so very disappointed in my son,_ she stews. But even with all this sordid information, she is not convinced that Elliot won't lie to her face about all of his exploits. And if he decides _not_ to deny it, Grace knows that it'll be the end of Ana showing up for Sunday dinners. Not only that, but it'll be the absolute end of her and Ana spending _any_ time together.

Grace is not willing to risk that.

...

Grace sighs in relief when Ana shows up for lunch at a Mexican restaurant close to Ana's job. Ana's back is facing the entrance when Grace waves to someone before rising from her seat. Ana's eyes follow Grace's and she's stunned to suddenly see Christian standing before her. As Christian hugs his mother, he's just as surprised to see Ana here as well.

"What are you doing here?" he beams down at her. _And what's my mother up to inviting me to lunch without telling me who's joining us?_ When Ana stands and hugs him too, everything seems to move in slow motion. _My God – I don't know how long I can do this,_ Christian groans to himself. _This is beyond painful to be so fucking close to her, yet so far away._

 _If only she could see how much she means to me._

"I should be asking you the same question," Ana laughs before turning to Grace. "I didn't know Christian would be joining us."

Grace smirks guiltily. "I invited him. I hope you don't mind."

"No, not at all," Ana insists.

Things seem slightly awkward at first, but soon, the three of them begin chatting comfortably. Not long after lunch is served, Grace suddenly asks to be excused in order to take a call. Once the doctor steps away, both Christian and Ana look at each other and can't help but chuckle.

 _This is so awkward,_ Ana thinks to herself.

 _Grace, you have some explaining to do,_ Christian reflects.

"So, how have you been since…two days ago?" he attempts to break the ice.

Ana giggles. "Fantastic. How's the wide world of mergers and acquisitions?"

"Splendid."

Ana chuckles. "That's a very specific word."

"The best one I can come up with."

It's difficult for Ana to stop smiling whenever the deadpan entrepreneur turns on the charm. It's definitely a sight to behold. The two continue going back and forth and there's no shortage of laughter.

"So, how's my brother doing?" Christian tries his best not to gag on his words. He _hates_ talking about Elliot, especially with her.

"Busy. He just started another project for the mayor. I haven't seen him since Sunday. I probably won't see him all that much until Christmas."

The news baffles Christian. _I know exactly what project Elliot's working on, and it doesn't require him being away from his girlfriend for an extended period of time._

Christian's fallen expression isn't lost on Ana. "I mean, you get it, right? You work crazy hours just like he does. You Grey men simply don't know when to quit," she pipes through nervous laughter. "I guess I just have to get used to him working like a maniac from time to time and not being able to stop by and see me whenever I want him to."

"If I had a girl like you," he professes through gritted teeth, "you better believe I'd _make_ the time."

His words make Ana's heart jump, and she freezes right when Grace finally returns. His mother's extended absence doesn't go unnoticed by Christian.

"Is everything okay with the call?" he asks.

"That was just about a patient. Everything's fine," Grace assures them both.

At the end of lunch, Grace expresses that she had a wonderful time with them both and suggests that they all should do this again since both Ana and Christian work so close by. The two agree. But the second Ana mentions hopes of including Elliot into the fold one of these days, both Christian's and Grace's expressions fall. Fortunately, Ana totally misses it.

Ana leaves the other two with hugs and rushes to make it back to the office in time for a meeting, while Christian insists that his mother stay behind for just a few more minutes to catch up.

"You mind telling me what this was _really_ about?" he smirks.

"You mean my phone call?" Grace replies naively.

"Not buying it, mom."

She completely swerves past the landmine her son has set before her. "While we're in the middle of calling one another out, why didn't you mention to me that you have a PI following Elliot?"

Christian narrows his eyes. "And _how_ would you know that?"

"Because I hired one as well."

He lowers down his head and laughs into his hands. _I always knew I was more like Grace than Carrick._

"And you knew way before I did that Elliot was running around on Ana."

"How so?" he challenges.

"The night of my speech at UW School of Medicine? When we went for ice cream? Something happened that night, didn't it?"

Christian confesses nothing. "What do you know?"

"You obviously know what I know, or else you wouldn't have thrown it back over to me."

"And _you_ obviously know that I know what you know…so you might as well tell me what _else_ you know," Christian talks his mother around in circles.

"I've counted at least five other women Elliot has been with over the course of one month."

Christian doesn't even flinch at the news.

"That doesn't shock you?" she challenges.

"Nope."

"Why not?" she squeaks. "I am thoroughly disgusted that he would even _do_ such a thing."

"Why am I not surprised, you ask? Because it's Elliot, mother. He's fucked almost everything with a vagina in the greater Seattle area."

"Watch it," she chastises her son for language, yet he doesn't blink. He absolutely stands by his statement.

All of a sudden, the gravity of the situation finally settles on Grace's shoulders and she starts to tear up. "Ana is such a sweet girl. She doesn't deserve this."

"I know," Christian sighs in agony.

Grace picks up her used napkin and dabs away her tears. "You know, I saw the two of you talking earlier. I think it would be kind of cool if you hung out sometime."

"What are you saying?" Christian says with wide eyes.

"I think you should spend time with Ana."

"Nope," he strikes back. "She is Elliot's girl."

"Not for long," Grace counters. "You know she's going to find out. And I feel absolutely terrible for not telling her about what's going on. Ana is like a daughter to me."

After some strategic pondering, the billionaire CEO speaks out. "How about we lead her to discover the truth for herself?"

She likes the idea. "And you'll be there to help her pick up the pieces?" Grace offers, full of hope.

Christian frowns. "I don't know about that. If anything, she's going to need you when the shit hits the fan."

"That goes without saying," Grace immediately replies. "But it would be kind of nice if you were there for her, too."

"Why?" he asks, perplexed.

"I don't know. She's just going to need _someone_."

"I don't know what you're thinking mother, but you need to get that thought out of your head. Do you even know what you're saying?"

She blinks, slowly returning to reality. "You're right. What was I thinking?"

However, deep down inside, Grace can't help but ponder how absolutely perfect Christian would be for Ana.

* * *

 ** _(THE PRESENT)_**

 _Best 4_ _th_ _of July…ever_ , she beams.

Tonight, Ana is over the moon. She can't get over living _real life_ inside of a dream.

The one glorious place that Christian harped about long ago, he actually brought her here, and it's everything he said it would be. He promised to bring her back once the leaves begin changing colors, and then again in the winter to ski. Well, more like her watching _him_ ski. He doesn't want Ana _snapping her sweet little neck on the slopes_ , he told her.

Little does Ana know, Christian has made a few phone calls in private in order to get the process started of building a home here in Bend. For _them_. Of course, their home will be much grander than this rental property. Christian Grey can't help but do everything big. It's who he is.

This night is no exception. He surprised Ana with a pack of sparklers, which she lights up right after dusk on the deck. And as the fireworks from above begin streaming across the sky, Ana wonders if he'd arranged that, too. She doesn't ask because his smirk tells her everything that she needs to know.

 _This man – I truly don't know what to do with him_ , she swoons.

With a pair of lit sparklers in both hands, she hands half of them to Christian before wrapping her arms around him in a solid embrace. Finally, she feels like she's able to love without apologizing. She no longer cares about the circumstances or the timing of it all.

 _This feels absolutely right._

She can honestly say that she has never felt this way about anyone else – not Doug _or_ Elliot.

Christian leans down and kisses her soundly as the sky lights up and pops behind them. "I love you," he tells her.

"I love you, too," she exhales.

Christian gapes at her. This is the very first time he's heard the words come out of her mouth, and he is thunderstruck. "You didn't have to say it just because I said it to you."

"But I _do_. I really _do_ love you," she breathes.

They kiss for forever, it seems, pouring their all into one another as Roman candles stream across the sky.

* * *

 ** _A/N: I am back, faithful readers! Thank you all so much for your patience over the past two months as I focused on fulfilling a longtime dream of mine. I FINALLY finished my very first novel! WOOO HOOO! I can't wait to share more about it with you guys in the coming weeks. It's a very unique love story that I've absolutely poured my heart into. I really hope you'll enjoy it once it's released out into the wild late this spring, haha!_**

 ** _My author name is TK Cherry and you can look me up on all forms of social media under TK Cherry or TK Cherry Fiction. Make sure you look for the logo with the cherry on the end. ;) Also, stay tuned for the full launch of my website, TKCherry dot com. In the upcoming weeks, I will be promoting my book on all sites. I already have a two-minute video teaser posted which features voiceover by yours truly, so make sure you peep that on my TK Cherry Facebook page and like my page while you're there. :) I'll be having giveaways and offering ARCs (aka FREE COPIES) to those of you who are eager to read and review my first novel WAY before anyone else gets their pretty little hands on it._**

 ** _The next book I'll be writing is based on my contest-winning short story,_** **California Dreamin'** ** _. If you haven't read it, you have until the end of March 2019 before I pull it from FanFiction. Don't worry, I'm not planning on going anywhere anytime soon. As long as I have A &C plot bunnies running around in my brain, I will be here! _**

**_In the meantime, I'm back in full swing with Another Man's Treasure. I've made this story part of my Camp NaNo writing goal for April, so rest assured that it'll be a long while before I'll be taking another break from this story, haha!_**

 ** _What can we expect in chapter 8? Well, more sex, of course. I won't go into detail on what happens other than the chapter is tentatively titled "Pet Sounds" hehe! Okay, one hint. If anyone has read Beautiful Secret by Christina Lauren, it is inspired by a hot scene that takes place in that book._**

 ** _What else do we have to look forward to later on in the story? Elliot Grey totally losing his shit after finding out that his brother has been doing his favorite ex VERY well in every single way. That reveal is currently set to place at the very end of chapter 11 :D_**

 ** _Thanks so much for sticking with this story AND with me! – ST2 (aka TK Cherry)_**


	8. Chapter 8

**Chapter 8** **–** **Pet Sounds**

 ** _(THE PRESENT – Back in Seattle)_**

Ana can't eat another bite, so she watches the bandstand intently as she runs her fingers over the daisy appliques etched in the net of lace across her chest. When she first spotted the sultry black sleeveless dress in her closet, it called out to her. She hasn't explored even half of what Christian furnished in her wardrobe suite.

It's the middle of summer in Seattle where it rains the least, affording everyone the opportunity to enjoy a date night meal al fresco. Christian and Ana are no exception. They have the most spectacular view of the Seattle riverfront on one side. On the other side, they witness a full jazz band playing through the wide-open glass doors.

It is indeed a perfect Friday date night.

As far as Ana's concerned, _all five_ of their date nights since returning home from Bend two weeks ago have been nothing short of perfect. After their trip back from Central Oregon, there was no way Ana could go back to living in the apartment with engaged couple José and Maria, even though José adamantly voiced his concern that his good friend was unwisely moving too fast after such a brutal breakup.

However, Christian doesn't feel like a rebound to Ana in the slightest. For her, Christian is _home. He's who I belonged with from the very beginning._ So, after experiencing living with him over the past three weeks, she could no longer prolong the inevitable. Ana's change of address is official; she now resides in the penthouse apartment suite of a sleek luxury tower of condos called Escala. She's right where she should be, and it is impossible for Christian to be any happier.

Ana's sultry black dress is set off by the shimmer on her feet courtesy of her dazzling Christian Louboutin high-heel pumps. She gasps the moment the sexy man in a black suit guides her unwillingly from her chair and ushers her inside the restaurant and on the dance floor.

She protests, but suddenly, the glimmer in this man's eyes melts her jitters away. Christian takes the lead and is extremely light on his feet while being patient with Ana's two left ones, skillfully guiding her across their own little bubble to the jazzy rhythm. He beams down at her like a fool in love, while she is refreshed seeing him so laid back. She genuinely adores witnessing this side of him. _What is this song?_ — she wonders. _I don't think I've heard this one before. I like it._

Ana can't help but ponder over these past four weeks. Christian has treated her like a queen every single day. There hasn't been a night they've been apart, which is a foreign concept for her. She idly wonders when his out-of-town business trips will resume. Ana actively shakes away the dreadful thought and falls back into the moment, assisted by the gray loving eyes gazing down at her.

The band transitions into the next song—Elvis' _I Can't Help Falling In Love_ , and it suddenly shifts the atmosphere from fun-loving to heart affirming. Dancing cheek to cheek, Christian begins singing the lyrics in his lover's ear. Ana fights back tears but loses the battle as one springs from the corner of her eye. Not only are the words that he sings heartfelt, but he croons them with the voice of an angel. _I didn't even know that he could sing…I mean_ _ **really**_ _sing._

Christian stops and then looks at her before feathering the back of his fingers across her cheek, wiping away her tears. "Why are you crying?" he hums with a sweet smile.

"You know why," Ana sniffles.

He playfully shrugs. "Well, I don't know. Maybe I need to hear it from you. I don't want to assume."

She sighs as the two of them continue swaying slowly together. "Because. I love you."

Christian gently lifts her chin and searches the windows of her soul and is beyond satisfied with what he finds. "And I love _you_ more than words, Anastasia Steele," he confesses before he closes in on her with his mouth, forgetting the band and everyone else around them. Their lips meet and Ana hears a world-class symphony in place of a restaurant jazz band.

…

Ana is perched in the center of the massive bed. She's cross-legged, naked, and tugging the shiny high heels still on her feet. In spite of her nervousness, she fully embodies a royal queen on her throne.

A naked but barefoot Christian ceremoniously surfaces from his walk-in closet holding two signature Tiffany Blue Boxes. He approaches his goddess with reverence before climbing into bed with her. Once situated and seated with his feet underneath him, he opens the larger box, revealing a stunning necklace. Ana gapes at it _and_ him.

"Before you were mine, I had a dream that I fucked you while you were wearing millions of dollars in jewelry." Ana's breath catches in her throat. "Tonight, it'll only be a quarter of a million," he smirks in humor. Ana is even more flabbergasted as she stares at the sparkling clusters of pear-shaped diamonds strung all across the long platinum strand. "I figure every Friday night we'd gradually work up to a million. Makes for a fun game."

Ana's heart nearly stops. "Christian…" she begins to protest before he hushes her.

"This is what _I_ want," he solemnly declares without a single ounce of wit. "I want to shower your beautiful body with expensive diamonds before pleasing it all night long. Would you dare deny me of my longtime fantasy?"

Ana is wide-eyed and speechless while staring at the determined hot-blooded male sitting before her. Suddenly, she spies a twitch at the corner of his mouth, and her head immediately drops to hide her laughter. While she's not looking, Christian flashes a boyish grin before regaining his composure.

"Answer the question," he harkens in a bass-filled, commanding tone.

"No," she whispers airily, still smiling.

"Good girl," he hums. "Now… Look at me."

It's in that moment Ana realizes that the dom in him truly isn't dead. In fact, she wasn't naïve to think that he'd ever left. Every time Christian ever exercised an inkling of control, she took mental note of it. And it's that side of him that ignites a wick positioned in the center of her belly.

Slowly, she complies, and she immediately witnesses two very masculine hands holding each end of a dainty but weighty necklace. Christian reaches around her neck and blindly clasps the pricey jewels behind it.

He retrieves the smaller box and opens it to reveal a matching bracelet. Holding it the same as the necklace before it, he nods a non-verbal command and Ana presents him with her right wrist. Christian locks it in place and then plays with the loose-fitted loop on her thin wrist. He gazes in adoration at the necklace splayed across her chest before refocusing on her bracelet. Ana no longer winces or complains. She just simply sits in total silence after the man of her dreams just adorned her with expensive jewels and then takes her in with his reverent gaze.

"I want you to understand how precious you are to me. _You_ are my greatest treasure, Ana."

And with his words, she is on the brink of tears once more tonight.

"Lie down," he orders.

She obeys, then Christian places the boxes aside before gliding his body on top of hers. He starts the journey of kissing her from head to thigh. Once below, he spreads her thighs further apart before his face moves in between them.

 _We're in our bubble_. Ana sighs loudly in between moaning.

 _I_ _ **love**_ _our bubble_.

…

 ** _(Four Days Later)_**

 _"_ _Ah! Ah! Ah!"_

 _"_ _Mmmm…baby…"_

 _"_ _Uh! Uh!"_

 _"_ _Damn... I love it when you cream all over my dick like that. Listen to how it sounds."_

 _"_ _Ah! Ah!"_

 _"_ _I wish you could experience how this feels from my side. It's… better than heaven."_

 _"_ _Ohhhhh!"_

 _"_ _Oh shit… Do that again."_

 _*moans* "You mean_ this _?"_

 _"_ _Oh yeah... Fuck yeah. Just like that, baby. Now tell me…how do you want it?"_

 _*gasps* "Like that… *gasps* but… faster…."_

 _"_ _Like this?"_

 _"_ _Uhhhh! Faster!"_

 _"_ _Better?"_

 _"_ _Faster!"_

 _*grunts* "Baby, I just love fucking this exquisite cunt._ _ **Mine**_ _…"_

 _"_ _Oh my God… Pleeeease…choke meeeee!"_

 _*pants* "Shit! *growls* Fuck!"_

 _*gasps* "Ahhhhh! Fuck me, Christian! Fuck me hard! Oh my God!"_

Ignoring the ever-present pulsing in between her thighs, Ana blushes and giggles out loud before tugging the single earbud hanging from her ear. She's in her office at work and she just listened to a steamy recording on her phone. It's one that she didn't know was there until she began closing apps and realized that one was still open from last night. _Luckily it stopped recording at some point before things got_ _ **really**_ _X-rated_ , she smirks to herself.

Feeling rather adventurous, she splices out the part of interest, taps the share button, and sends the audio in a text over to Christian. She laughs while covering her mouth with one hand.

Sometime after dinner last night, Ana was wrapping up a few Mylegent-related loose ends in the library at home when she got a sudden idea on how to go about enhancing customer service on her team. She didn't want to forget it, so she launched her recorder app equipped with transcribing capabilities. It was still running when Christian so rudely interrupted her and confiscated her phone. After placing it aside, he seduces her, and the two lovers set fire to the library starting on top of the chaise longue.

It's a memory that doesn't cease to send chills down her spine.

Thirty minutes after moving on from wondering when Christian would reply to her 'gift', a knock on the office door suddenly pulls Ana's focus away from her computer screen.

"Come in," she calls out.

Expecting one of her direct reports or a fellow manager, Ana is stunned to see Jason Taylor, Christian's driver and head of security, standing on the other side of the door. Looking dapper in his usual uniform of dark slacks and matching jacket over a white dress shirt, the middle-aged war veteran wears his usual signature all-business attitude.

"Miss Steele. I've been instructed to pick you up to meet Mr. Grey for lunch."

 _First of all, how did Taylor get clearance from front desk security to be able to just mosey on back here?_ — Ana thinks to herself.

 _Secondly, Christian never asked me out for lunch today._  
 _Oh, it'll be 'lunch' alright._

She figures there's no use arguing _'what if I had other plans, or a meeting'_ to Taylor. Ana knew exactly what she was getting herself into when she texted over that salacious audio clip to Christian.

The only thing she can do now is smile, grab her purse, and go.

And that, she does.

* * *

 ** _(THE PAST – 7 months ago)_**

"Could I trouble you for another Yuengling, sweetheart?" he croons.

"Not a problem. I'll be right back with that," she breathily replies.

Ana frowns from the other side as she watches the redheaded waitress practically skip away. Ana then scowls across the table at her boyfriend. " _Sweetheart_?"

Elliot shrugs. "Just being nice since I'm not tipping her more than fifteen percent. It's the least I can do."

Ana rolls her eyes. _It never fails_ , she reflects. Elliot is always flirting with the waitstaff, and she can't help but feel the minor sting of jealous when he does it. Since the very beginning, she's simply been chalking it up to _Elliot just being Elliot_. She remembered a time when Elliot seemed respectful of her in front of others. But the longer they remain together, the bolder his outward flirting with other women seems to get.

These days, the state of their relationship has Ana second guessing everything. But every time she voices her concern to Elliot, he would make her feel guilty for ever doubting his faithfulness to her. So, over time, Ana began weaving herself into a web of actively ignoring all the red flags, which includes Elliot's excessively flirty behavior.

 _It's just Elliot being Elliot._ The mantra is never ceasing, it seems.

"Hey—how do you think she looks?"

Ana's taken aback by the question. "Excuse me?" she gasps.

"Our waitress. Would you want to bring her in on a threesome?" he smirks. Ana's heart stops, while he completely ignores her look of total shock. "I mean, we've been together for quite a while now. Don't you think we're ready to be a little more adventurous, sexually?"

Ana turns red, feeling like a pressure cooker.  
 _Is he fucking kidding me right now?!_

Elliot laughs, "Hey, calm down. I'm _joking_."

Yet it seems that his reveal came just a little too late. There's no unwinding the clock. Ana is furious and steam is practically expelling from her nostrils.

"Babe— _relax_ ," he chuckles as he tries to reach for her hand from across the table. She snatches it away before he can. "Ana, I was only joking. You know I'd never do that."

Date night is officially ruined. Ana was already on edge when Elliot arrived at her apartment nearly an hour late to pick her up. Being late, the constant flirting with the waitress, and the added bad joke is a combination that produces disastrous results.

Ana is now ready to go home. Alone.

…

 ** _(The Following Day)_**

"Excuse me. I'm _so_ sorry. I have to take this."

At the hospital cafeteria, Grace steps away from the table, leaving Ana and Christian seated there. Sometime during the course of Ana and Christian volunteering at the arts and crafts room with the children, Dr. Trevelyan Grey had invited them down for lunch. And for the second time since arriving, a buzzing phone on Grace's hip causes her to step away from the table.

"So…did your desire to work in publishing ever return, or are you still happy where you are?" Christian smiles _just so_ at Ana.

"I love my job," Ana beams back. "There's something fulfilling about working your way up to management. It's a great feeling."

"Well…if it was so good, why did you turn down the director job?"

Ana's smile turns on a dime. She gapes at him.

"Did you assume I wouldn't find out?" he furrows a brow at her.

"Yeah… I mean…" Ana is at a total loss for words. Instead of asking why he's been following up on her behind her back, she decides to somewhat explain her reasoning. "It was a temporary decision that I made."

" _Temporary_?" he frowns. "Your executive management says you're ready _now_. Why prolong this?"

Being questioned about any decision she's made is a foreign concept for Ana. She almost feels like a child being scolded. Even as a child, she has never felt backed up against a corner as she does right this moment by Christian.

Ana finally finds her words. "I just don't have the capacity right now. Also, I'm making major headway with my current team. I'd hate to leave them high and dry."

"But you seemed gung-ho about the prospect of becoming director last year," Christian squints in confusion. "What changed?" He immediately picks up on Ana's next mood change, and he knows that he has just hit a button.

"Life," she shrugs.

There's so much more lingering on the tip of her tongue, but all of it concerns Elliot. She could never fathom betraying her boyfriend's trust like that. The line had already been crossed to a certain degree with Grace. Ana feels that it's time to reel things in and take better control of the narrative being portrayed to Elliot's family. Even though all isn't necessarily hunky dory in hers and Elliot's relationship, Ana feels obligated to continue to convince the world that it is. Otherwise, Elliot would look like the bad guy.

"Is my brother treating you right?" Christian asks, wearing a critical frown.

Ana stares at him like a deer frozen in time while he functions as a fifteen-ton pickup truck with high-beams blazing. _What kind of question is that?_ – Ana thinks. _Why is he asking me this?_

"We're good." Her words come out just a tad bit harsh.

Christian tilts his head sideways, continuing to showcase his vast skepticism. _I know the real deal, and she's not being truthful_ , he reflects. He's been staying in tune with all things Ana and Elliot, so he knows all about those nights when she's all alone. Meanwhile, her guy is up to his philandering ways. _Open your eyes, Ana; it's right there in front of you. You need to see him for who he is. Please don't put me in the position to have to tell you, or you won't believe me._

When Grace returns, it's evident that the mood between Ana and Christian has shifted since she took her second phone call. The mother can't exactly put her finger on it. "I truly apologize. Work," she sighs with a slight shrug of her shoulders.

"I have to head home," Ana sighs as she begins stacking her half-eaten lunch on the tray.

"You're not coming back to the crafts room?" Christian asks. There's a subtle panic evident in his voice.

"Ana, you can't leave now. The children were having such a good time with the two of you," Grace pleads.

"I know," Ana murmurs. "I really adore them and wish I could stay longer, but Kate and I have to clean up our place to get ready for the carpet cleaners on Monday."

"What's another couple of hours?" Grace urges. "If push comes to shove, I'll send over my personal cleaning staff to your place tomorrow, and they'll do the job in about an hour. Whatever you need them to do, just tell them and they'll handle it."

"Don't be ridiculous," Ana groans. "You know I can't accept that, but I appreciate your kind offer."

Grace turns from Ana to her son, pleading. "Christian, convince her to stay. I need to return a call from a consulting physician regarding one of my critical patients." She turns back to Ana. "Please, just five more minutes. Don't leave before I get back."

It has always been very difficult for Ana to say no directly to Grace's face. For the past couple of years, this woman has been a constant for Ana. The last thing Ana wants to do is disappoint Dr. Trevelyan Grey. "I'll be here," Ana smiles, but her uncertainly perseveres.

With that, Grace promises her swift return before scurrying off with phone in hand.

"I hope you're not just leaving early because of what I said," Christian starts the second his mother leaves. "If so, I'm sorry…"

"No," Ana interrupts, "don't apologize. It's fine. You… you brought up a fair point. But it's a decision that I decided to make for the time being. And right now, I value my relationship over my career."

"Fair enough," Christian hums. He plays it steady and cool on the outside, but inside, he's anything but. _Elliot has no idea what he has. Ana is the most selfless, most loving creature on the planet._

Christian feels that no one is worthy of the girl seated across from him, but Elliot Grey should be the very last person alive to deserve the chance to breathe in the same air as her. Christian is patiently waiting for that fateful day to happen just like in the song. _Elliot will add a jar containing Ana's heart on the shelf besides all of the others he's collected over the years._

But something tells the youngest Grey son that his big brother will definitely feel the impact of losing Ana, unlike any of the other women he's left behind. Christian believes that once Ana becomes fully aware of all the dirt his brother has been up to behind her back, she wouldn't take him back to save his life, or hers.

 _He'll be truly sorry._

"I get it." It's all Christian can muster up to say without revealing anything that he'd later come to regret saying. _It's not time yet for her to hear it from me._ He decides to quickly change subjects. "So, things are going well with your team? How many direct reports do you have now?"

"Seven," Ana replies, smiling again. "And they are all fantastic. I may be biased, but I believe I have the best claims team in the building. Even other managers and team leads are trying to steal my people, but hey—they haven't left me yet," Ana giggles with a slight shrug.

"I think it's a testament to their leader more than anything else," Christian responds with a slight grin. Ana is suddenly bashful from his apparent praise. "Do you have a good incentive plan in place for your staff?" he asks.

Ana and Christian continue going back and forth, and the more experienced leader of the two offers the other invaluable advice about leading versus managing. It takes a while for Ana to realize how she has transitioned from being on-edge, to feeling more at ease with Christian. It's also then when Ana looks down at her phone on the table and realizes Grace has been gone way longer than the five minutes she'd promised.

 _I understand Grace is a busy woman, but it's Saturday, for Pete's sake. Unless it's a life or death situation, she normally chats with consulting doctors during the week. Each time she has stepped away, it's been for longer than ten minutes._

Ana stands with tray in hand and reaches for Christian's.

"Don't. I'll get that," he insists while rising to his feet. He takes her tray away and then grabs his with the other hand.

"Thank you. I'll be right back. I'm going to check on your mother."

Christian furrows his brows in amusement. "Yeah, she has been gone for a little too long."

"I'm sure she's not far."

Ana proceeds towards the front of the cafeteria and scans around to see if she can spot Grace. Once she's out in the atrium, she scans through the sea of white coats, but none of them are Dr. Trevelyan Grey. Ana sighs before retreating back inside the cafeteria. She gets an idea to search the back, so instead of going right, she heads left.

Immediately, Ana finds Grace sitting in a corner with her back turned, looking at her phone but not speaking into it. Ana frowns in confusion.

Grace is startled the moment Ana taps her on the shoulder.

"Is everything okay?" Ana squints.

"Oh… _yes_. It's fine." Grace has this odd expression that looks a lot like guilt. "How long have you been standing there?"

"I just found you," Ana smirks. "What's going on?"

"Did Christian leave?" Grace rubbernecks in a hurry, searching for her son. "You should get back to him. I just need just five more minutes."

Ana doesn't understand Grace's sense of urgency. When Ana first saw her sitting here, Grace was relaxing and browsing on her phone. What Ana saw on the doctor's screen wasn't anything medical related. In fact, Grace was just fiddling around on her Pinterest board.

A lightbulb instantly goes off in Ana's mind.

 _No way.  
She can't be._

Even though Ana hasn't been saying a whole lot these days to Grace about the recent hardships that her and Elliot have endured in their relationship, it's more than obvious to Ana that the astute mother realizes there is still trouble in paradise. Grace has even alluded to Ana that it may be high time for her to cut her loses if her son continues along his neglectful path.

 _"_ _You are too beautiful and smart to put up with any of that nonsense",_ Grace said to Ana on another occasion over lunch not too long ago. While Ana remained tight-lipped, Grace flipped the switch from being neutral to candid. This utterly shocked Ana at the time. _"I know Elliot is my son, and I love him dearly, but enough is enough. Please don't tell him I said that, but I'm being honest. There are way too many fishes in the sea for you to settle for less than what you deserve. You need to give him an ultimatum."_

Ana was shaken to her core. Her friends had told her on numerous occasions that it wasn't worth staying in a relationship that left her feeling more sad than happy. But she convinced herself that they were only being one-sided. Ana believes Elliot is simply a hardworking man who doesn't have a whole lot of time to give her the attention that she desires. However, when Elliot is present with her, _he's truly there_ , Ana feels. _Well…most of the time_ , she quantifies.

However, when similar words of criticism that came from her concerned Thirsty Thursday crew were echoed by Grace, it nearly broke Ana. If the doctor were indeed one-sided, it definitely wouldn't be in Ana's favor. Which is why hearing the sentiments of Kate, Tammy, Isa, and José echoing from Elliot's own mother hit Ana especially hard.

 _Am I being foolish?_ It's a question that Ana has asked herself time and time again.

Right now, Ana can't help but take notice at how insistent Grace has been when it comes to including Christian in the ladies' one-on-one time. And today, Grace has been exceptionally calculating. Ana can't help but wonder if the good doctor has been feigning an emergency medical crisis in order to force Ana to spend quality time with the much more reserved Grey son.

"Five minutes, eh?" Ana smirks. "This conversation isn't over, Grace. I know exactly what you're up to."

The good doctor blinks in response while maintaining a sincere demeanor.

"What do you mean?"

"Never mind," Ana rolls her eyes, knowing very well that Grace is playing innocent.

"Just five more minutes Ana—I promise."

Meanwhile, Christian gets a real call. A business partner in London wants to do an emergency video chat about a deal that's cooking up overseas. He apologizes to Ana for having to leave her to return to the children alone.

"Honestly, it's not a problem. I can handle those little doodlebugs all by my lonesome," Ana giggles.

Her smile ignites something within, but he keeps his feelings at bay. "Let them know that I'll be back next Saturday."

"You bet."

The two hug and a bothered Christian awkwardly pulls away, keeping it brief. Unbeknownst to Ana, he is slowly aching inside.

 _She's so damn close, yet so far away.  
I don't know how long I can keep quiet…about Elliot. About me._

 _She is all I ever think about._

Christian shakes off the thought. "Tell my mother I'm sorry and I'll give her a call tonight."

"Sure thing," Ana nods.

Two minutes later, Grace is startled when she sees only Ana sitting at the table.

"Where did Christian go?"

"He had an urgent call with his London team. He's headed over to Grey House."

"Damn." The look of disappointment etched on Grace's tender face is undeniable. And as the two women head back towards the pediatric wing with arms linked together like two old friends, Grace's lingering disappointment prompts Ana to speak on what she wanted to earlier.

"I hope you're not trying to set me up with your other son being that Elliot and I are having minor issues."

Grace halts the two of them dead in their tracks. Grace turns and looks Ana square in the face as foot traffic swarms past them. "Elliot's priorities are out of order. You know this. Meanwhile, Christian has his head on straight. Ana…" Grace tries her best to search for the appropriate words. "You need dependability and stability."

Ana is utterly appalled and retrieves her arm from Grace's. "Grace… Elliot is your _son_. Why would you betray him like that?"

"Elliot is not behaving like the son I raised," Grace ominously growls.

Ana is clearly shocked. "What has he done?" The words come out of her in a puff. She fears the absolute worse. _What does Grace know?_ Ana then recalls the look Christian gave her earlier when he asked if things were good between her and Elliot.

 _What do they know?_

Meanwhile, Grace tries her best to skate around the real issue. If anything, she doesn't want to be the one to lead her young friend towards a broken heart. At the same time, it pains the wiser woman to see Ana continuing to remain naïve to Elliot's ways.

"He doesn't realize what he has." Grace brushes a hand across Ana's cheek. "Ana, you are the best thing that's ever happened to him. You are also such a wonderful gift to our family. I absolutely hate it that he's not treasuring you as he should. He's too old to be acting this way. This is the time that Elliot should be settling down. With _you_."

Grace's words leave Ana floored. The dam breaks, and the truth finally flows out.

"He's obviously not ready to do that," Ana responds with a shaky voice.

"Elliot may be my oldest, but he's always been the least mature out of my three children." Tears begin to prick Grace's eyes. "Look…Ana…I don't want to lose you. You know my heart broke when I lost Mia." The crack in Grace's voice shatters Ana.

"I'm not going anywhere, Grace. I care so much about you…both you _and_ Carrick."

 _And Christian_ , Grace fills the unspoken name in the blank space in her mind. "Even if Elliot messes up? I don't expect you'll be hanging around me if Elliot ever crosses the line."

"Do you expect me to leave if I don't stay with him?" Ana poses the question.

"I really don't have the answer to that," Grace says sadly. "I'm afraid of what the answer might be. I'd be absolutely heartbroken if we were to ever stop doing lunch, knitting, and shopping together."

Ana pulls her in for a hug, but Grace remains torn.

"My issues with Elliot shouldn't have any bearing on our friendship. We've been at this going on two years now," Ana tries to convince her.

Grace cups Ana's face. "Just promise me that no matter what happens, nothing will change with us."

Ana can only nod, but she knows deep down that she can't predict the future. What concerns her even more is that Grace is speaking about her and Elliot's relationship as if it's destined to be past tense. This is excluding Grace's cunning plan to get Ana and Christian talking alone, although Ana and Elliot are still a couple.

…

 ** _(Two Months Later)_**

"I can't believe you guessed that little Jordan's drawing was two guys playing football," Ana giggles over the loudspeaker of her car. "I couldn't make it out for the life of me."

"It was easy when I saw that one of the stick figures was running with something triangular-shaped in his hand. It was either a football or an ice cream cone."

Ana cracks up laughing. "I thought it was a triangle— the musical instrument."

"Not without a beater it isn't," Christian sparks in humor.

"A _beater_?"

"A triangle beater. The wand you strike the triangle with."

"Oh," Ana giggles. "I thought that thing was just called a _wand_ …or a stick. Seriously, it's called a _beater_?"

"Yep."

"How in the world did you know that?"

"Well…" _Settle down, Grey. No need for crude jokes._

"That's right. Classically trained," Ana quickly recalls. "Did you play triangle, too?"

"No, just piano, but I've worked with some of the best triangle players in grade school, like Brittany Cook and Stinky Pete Monroe."

"Stinky Pete?" Ana laughs. "Like the prospector from the second _Toy Story_?"

"Nah. He was just a kid named Peter who hated taking baths. However, he could strike a triangle like nobody's business."

Laughing even louder, Ana can't cease being amazed whenever she witnesses the lighter side of this enigmatic billionaire. It's a side that not very many people are privy to. No doubt, speaking with Christian makes the drive from work to home more bearable.

Christian suddenly changes gears. "Any idea what my brother has planned for the two of you on Valentine's Day?" Although the thought of them together and potentially happy makes him uneasy, Christian still wonders if Elliot will even show up for Ana on that day at all. _It takes a hell of a lot of time and effort to juggle a half-dozen women_ , ponders Christian.

"Your guess is as good as mine," she sighs. Usually Ana has some sort of inkling of what her and Elliot will be doing by now. However, this year, he's been rather quiet about plans. Valentine's Day is a momentous occasion for the couple—it's the day they first went out on a date two years ago. It's an anniversary of sorts.

"Well, I hope he does something very special for you. You absolutely deserve it."

Christian's sudden praise takes Ana aback. "Thank you. Do you have any plans that day?" The moment Ana says the words, she cringes. _I'm digging too deep._ Christian has always been private about his dating life. This is the first time Ana has ever crossed that line with him. Either one of two things can happen. He'll either tell her to mind her own business, or…

"Nope. Just work."

He opts for short. Ana gasps. "On a Saturday?"

"Unfortunately, I don't work a nine to five. I run a global enterprise, so I'm always on the clock, rain or shine, Sunday through Saturday."

"Gee. That's gotta suck."

"For me, it's fulfilling," Christian counters. "Hey, maybe I'll check in on the kids at Northwest that afternoon if I'm able to catch a break in the office."

"That would be so cool," Ana beams. "They'll probably be making Valentines."

"Sounds like the perfect time to go and see them. I'm sure they will be making some stellar things with scissors and red construction paper."

"You better believe it," Ana giggles. "I hope Mikey will be in a better mood. I'm a little disappointed I won't be seeing him until the following Saturday. He still hasn't spoken to me since he was first admitted, but I was glad to see him finally opening up to you last time."

"We formed a sort of a bond," Christian smirks.

"Really?" Ana's interest is definitely piqued.

"You know…he was taken from an abused home not long ago. His grandmother currently has custody of him."

"I was aware of that," Ana replies somberly. "It's so sad."

"His mother has been in jail for most of his life. Michael told me about his drunk father and how he used to beat him before Michael was diagnosed with his illness."

Ana heart breaks at the revelation. "His _father_?"

"Mm-hmm."

"And you said the two of you bonded over that? What happened to you?"

The moment Christian clears his throat, Ana regrets her words once more for the second time. _I'm such a line crosser._

"Before Grace and Carrick adopted me, I was also an abused child."

 _Whoa, he answered the question._ Ana is astounded. "Grace had alluded to that, but she never revealed exactly what happened to you."

"My birth mother was a drug addicted prostitute whose pimp literally treated my fragile little body like an ashtray and a kickstand."

Hearing the harshness of Christian's past nearly stops Ana's heart from beating. The thought of a young, helpless Christian getting pushed down and having cigarette butts put out on his skin is enough to elevate her breathing and cause tears to stream down her face. Christian hears sniffling from the other end of the line.

"Don't feel sorry for me. That was in the past. It took years of therapy for me to come to terms with everything and how it all happened for a reason. My experience is why I've been heavily involved with aiding abused women and neglected children and that I've endured the first four years of my life so that other children could be saved."

Ana is touched beyond measure. "Wow—you are _way_ stronger than I could've been. Any woman would be very fortunate to have you." _Insert foot in mouth, Steele,_ Ana instantly thinks to herself. And as expected, Christian is silent. "Hey…I…"

"Shit…my VP is calling me," he groans.

 _Yeah, right. He totally wants to hang up on me now for overstepping my bounds._

"Go ahead…"

"I have to take this," he insists.

"…I understand. Sure."

"Sorry."

"No—don't apologize."

"We'll talk again soon," he says coolly.

She feels pricked. "Alright."

Ana sits in total silence for the remainder of the drive home. No music. No phone calls. Only her thoughts, which swirl with regret. If she could have done things differently, she would have. In spite of the awkward position she's now in due to Grace stealthily playing matchmaker, Ana still enjoys the conversations that her and Christian have. Ana is unsure if it's right to feel this way about him being that she's been with his brother for nearly two years.

 _Christian and I are just friends_ , she convinces herself once more. However, Ana now fears that the friendship may be at risk being that she just made the extremely private man feel a little uncomfortable.

...

 ** _(A Week Later)_**

"How was your Valentine's Day?" Ana speaks out into an empty car.

"Bob and I went to the golf club in the morning," Ana's mother replies over loudspeaker. "We had breakfast there and played a couple rounds. Later that night, we went to see a movie and had dinner at Paula Deen's restaurant. Then I came home to flowers and Bob drew me a bath."

" _Aww_ …way to go, Bob," Ana grins dotingly.

"So, what did you and Elliot get into?"

Prior to answering her mother's phone call, Ana had fooled herself into thinking she had a decent shot at guiding the conversation away from the topic of Elliot. _What was I thinking? Carla_ _ **loves**_ _him_ , Ana ponders in hindsight _._

Ana has tried with all her might to block out that monumentally disappointing night from her memory. In fact, her entire weekend was misery and self-loathing on steroids due to the added sting of Kate being absent. The always vibrant blonde best friend and roommate didn't return home until late last night after enjoying a blissful weekend with boyfriend Keenan at a resort and spa two hours away.

While most of her colleagues at Mylegent complained about having to work today, _President's Day_ , Ana very much welcomed the distraction. Being at home would be a cruel reminder of what _didn't_ happen this year on Saturday the 14th. Ana certainly had plenty of time all weekend long to begin second-guessing _everything_.

"Elliot?" Ana plays ignorant. "Oh…he had to work Saturday. I didn't see him."

"You're kidding," Carla gasps. "On _Valentine's Day_?"

"Saturday has recently been one of Grey Construction's busiest days. For the past two years, Elliot's been taking Saturdays off to spend them with me, but he recently had to stop doing that. Especially with this huge city project that he's working on." Ana says the words with understanding, but her heart doesn't agree. It still aches that Elliot had to miss their anniversary.

"First of all, he didn't _just_ start working Saturdays—he's been doing that for quite some time. Secondly, he's a _business owner_ with a team working under him," Carla hisses. "Couldn't he have—I don't know… _delegated_? I mean… _something_. Not only was this Valentine's Day, but it's practically your anniversary."

Ana shrugs in reluctant agreement. "That's just it, he's a business owner," she says calmly. "And because of that, much more is required from him."

Ana can't see, but she can definitely feel Carla shaking her head in dissatisfaction from the other side of the country. "Did he at least send you flowers?" Carla challenges.

"Valentine's Day is just a stupid Hallmark holiday. It's nothing special," scoffs Ana.

"He did something for you last year," Carla argues. "I hope you don't mind me crossing the line and getting a little honest right now. I think he's getting _way_ too comfortable. It seems he's beginning to take you for granted."

Ana rolls her eyes. "Mom, everything is good. We still go out to dinner every other Friday, he's just very busy lately trying to elevate his business. I mean…we still have Sunday dinner with his folks." _Well…mostly_ , she tags on in her head. They missed yesterday. "I'm also super close with Grace."

"And that's all well and good, but you could possibly be setting yourself up for heartbreak if anything were to happen between you and Elliot. I'm sure if you two were to ever break up, your lunches with Grace will stop happening."

"First of all, Elliot and I aren't _breaking up_ ," Ana snaps. "And if by a small chance that were to happen, Grace is still my friend. I'd never stop hanging out with her or volunteering at the hospital."

This is one of many times Carla wishes she was sitting face to face with her beloved daughter. In this moment, all she can do is hope that Ana takes heed to the pending warning and prepare herself for the worst possible scenario. "I hate to say this, Ana, but you'll be singing a completely different tune if things were ever to head south."

Ana is not having a positively good time on the call with her mom on the drive home this evening, _which is unfortunate_ , she thinks. In order to drop the subject, Ana forms a hard stop with her words.

"Settle down, Mom. Elliot and I will be just fine."

"Alright," Carla concedes before the two venture off the topic.

…

 ** _(The Next Day)_**

Grace and Ana chat over lunch at a nearby deli.

"It's always a different atmosphere whenever you and Elliot don't make it over for Sunday dinner." Grace tries to play it off as lighthearted as possible, but her disappointment remains evident. "I'm waiting on the day Christian returns back to his usual modus operandi and starts skipping Sundays again. I'm a little surprised that hasn't happened already."

Ana naturally feels guilty each time her and Elliot fail to show up in Bellevue. She's toyed with the idea of going there solo on the days Elliot can't, but something tells her that he wouldn't be too keen on the idea. As it stands, he's already not all that receptive of her spending way too much quality time with his mother. As a result, Ana decides not to push the envelope.

"By the way, Elliot's birthday dinner this coming Sunday has grown to about thirty people. So, it would be wise if the two of you actually showed up to the house at least this one time," Grace says sternly.

" _Thirty_?" Ana gapes. "Wow."

"So much for that intimate dinner he wanted," Grace smirks.

" _Intimate dinner_? It's now a full-fledged party," chuckles Ana.

"No doubt…and it isn't even a milestone birthday for him. Although, that's never stopped us from putting on large parties before."

"Another four years 'til his next major milestone," Ana sparkles, but then turns it off in the middle of contemplating. "Geez—he's nearly an old man."

"He is not," Grace frowns while laughing.

"He's nearly middle-aged."

"Watch it," Grace scolds teasingly. Ana laughs. "So, how was your Valentine's Day?"

Ana's smile fades away. _Oh no, Grace. Not you, too,_ she thinks following the highly uncomfortable conversation she had on the exact topic with her mother just yesterday. In spite of the feel of dread spreading across her chest, Ana maintains an even-keeled, resolved exterior. It's the only way to ensure that Grace isn't alarmed. "It was fine. Elliot had to work. We're going to make it up on another day. Maybe after his birthday."

Grace's severe frown throws Ana off. "What are you talking about? Elliot said the two of you were going out for dinner and a movie."

"We didn't—he was at work."

"I swore he told me that you two were making it a big night."

Ana shakes her head extraneously. "Trust me, I was at home Saturday night watching old _Law and Order_ reruns."

Grace is beyond baffled. She takes out her phone from her purse and insists, "Let me call him."

Ana reaches across the table and holds down her arm to stop her. "Don't. Maybe he told you he was planning on doing that; however, things fell by the wayside the moment an emergency came up on the jobsite."

For some reason, Ana's speculative explanation seemingly satisfies Grace. It also helps that Grace hadn't heard anything from the PI recently concerning any foul, disloyal behavior from her eldest son. Still, she can't shake the possibility of him becoming a little savvier with his indiscretions. With both Grace and Christian monitoring the serial playboy, it wouldn't surprise Grace if Elliot suddenly developed paranoia and has subsequently become even more calculated in hiding his cheating ways.

"I've told you time and time again that I don't want to see anything happen between you and Elliot. Now…I know things have gotten more distant between the two of you."

"Just a little bit," Ana nervously chuckles.

She despises being put in the position of making Elliot out to be the villain. She loves him for the most part when things go well between them—flirting with waitresses aside. But when Elliot is away, it's as if he's standing on the other side of the chasm of the Grand Canyon. Ana believes that one false move might cause her to plunge underwater. In their case, water represents _days_ of arguing. With them, things are either warm or artic—nothing greater or in between. With that, Ana has perfected the art of maintaining the peace as much as possible.

"Hey," Grace laughs, "if the two of you can't seem to work things out, don't ever feel like you're trapped. My dear, you are _not_ married. There are wonderful young men out there who are probably more willing to give you the time and attention that you require."

"Like who?" Ana snorts in humor, asking a question that she's assured Grace doesn't have a clear answer for.

From where Grace sits, it seems as though Ana is potentially entertaining the idea of leaving her current situation; but in reality, she isn't. Remaining naïve to all the signs, Grace decides to press her luck.

"I don't know… What about Christian?"

Ana had entertained the notion of Grace playing twisted-matchmaker the last time the two of them and Christian met for lunch. After some thinking, Ana chalked it up to a simple misunderstanding. However, Grace just flipped the script by verbalizing the words that had remained null in Ana's head. Grace just brought the words to life.

While Ana gapes in absolute shock, Grace feigns laughter before abruptly ceasing it, as if turning off a faucet. "Ana, you can't tell me you haven't considered Christian. I mean… _he_ …he's an obvious choice."

Ana glares, affronted. "Excuse _me_?" She has an onslaught of thoughts running through her baffled mind. _This behavior is_ _ **so**_ _out of character for Grace. What's_ _ **really**_ _going on, here?_

"I've seen how the two of you are when you talk—it's like there's no one else is in the room. The two of you positively click, and it's a delight to see. If things don't work out with Elliot, having a new beginning with Christian wouldn't necessarily be an unnatural progression."

"Grace—you're joking," Ana nervously laughs.

Grace shakes her head without a trace of a smile. "I'm dead serious."

Ana's porcelain skin nearly turns bright red. She is flabbergasted. " _D_ …do you even _hear_ yourself?"

"It's crazy," Grace sighs a chuckle. "I know. But just stretch your mind for just a bit here. I know what I'm saying sounds unprecedented."

" _Unprecedented_? No—it's beyond _ridiculous_ ," Ana counters with a severe frown. "I'm with _Elliot_. And even if I wasn't, I'd _never_ betray him like that."

 _Sweetheart, if you knew everything he was doing behind your back, you'd change your tune in a heartbeat._ The words parse Grace's thoughts, but she'd never say them out loud. Ana is already offended as it is. One word on Elliot's cheating ways, or the fact that Grace knew about it for quite some time, and it would send Ana running far away from the entire Grey family. It's the last thing Grace wants.

"Ana, I love you as if you were my own daughter, and I love both my sons with all that I am. However, you deserve to be treated with the utmost love and respect. You are the kindest, loveliest young lady I know. Any guy would be blessed to have you. Although Elliot is currently _that_ guy, he severely takes you for granted. Show him your true worth by allowing him to see how a man should _actually_ treat someone as special as you."

Ana now finds herself in a most awkward situation. She is beyond touched by Grace's words but feels extremely uncomfortable at the same time. For the first time ever, Ana is beginning to second guess her closeness with Grace all on her own—without the added element of Elliot's bellyaching in her ear.

"Thank you, Grace…I appreciate your kind words—I do. But I think it's asking a lot for me to abandon a relationship I've invested years in, only to explore the possibility of dating someone else who's closely related to the guy I'm presently seeing."

When Ana's words play back in Grace's head, _she_ is now taken aback by what she was just persuading Ana to do. "Ana, I'm _so_ sorry," she says sincerely. "I'm just freaking out here. I just don't understand why Elliot didn't move his schedule around to spend a very important day with you. It's the anniversary of your first date, for crying out loud. Him missing it is unacceptable. It shows me how he lacks commitment. He's going on thirty-six, yet he's still making the mistakes of a twenty-something-year-old."

Ana nods in understanding. On the inside, she's beyond uncomfortable. While Grace on the other hand contemplates if the shoe were on the other foot, she'd never allow herself to settle for such blatant neglect from _any_ man. Yet, for so long, Grace deemed it satisfactory for Ana to do simply that, in order to secure her as a daughter. As time progressed, and the writing on the wall has become much clearer, Grace now sees Ana finally breaking at some point. If or when that happens, Grace fears that there will be a monumental blowout of epic proportion.

For the first time ever, _Grace the Fixer_ wouldn't be able to fix this.

Many years ago, Grace Trevelyan Grey rescued two little boys and a baby girl. Today, she's desperate to save a young woman. It troubles the matriarch that she might fail for the first time.

…

Ana is shocked on the drive home when Christian's name suddenly pops up on her dashboard. She sighs long being that it has only been a few hours since his mother suggested him as a suitor after Elliot.

 _There is no 'after Elliot'. I'm with him now and will be for the foreseeable future. We're just going through a rough patch. Every couple does. But once I learn patience, everything will be just fine._

Unsure what the call will bring, Ana answers it anyway.

"Hello."

"Ana. Did I catch you at a bad time?"

"No…just sitting here in traffic."

"I figured you would be. So am I."

Even though Seattle traffic is frustrating for all involved, Ana still picks up on a subtle smile from just the sound of his voice. It does something inside of her to the point of evoking guilt. She shakes off the feeling.

"So, I spoke to my mother earlier. She thinks you're upset with her."

 _Oh boy_ , Ana dreads. "It's fine," she sighs.

"What did she say to you? If you don't mind me asking."

Ana's chest feels like it's going to collapse into her stomach. She hates being put on the spot. "It was something about Elliot. You know—I really don't care to rehash it. It's not a big deal."

On the other end of the line, Christian adjusts his posture in the back seat of his SUV and closes his laptop. His brow deeply furrows. "So, you are upset with her."

"No, I didn't say that. I said it was fine," Ana utters past a stiffened jaw. "Grace and I are good. At least from my side we are. What has she told you?"

"Little or nothing," he responds. "When she's upset about something, she's usually short with words. I was wondering if I needed to stop by my folks' and see her."

 _He has no idea what his own mother did today behind his back_ , Ana immediately thinks. _I'm not exactly sure how Christian would feel about Grace trying to fix him up with his brother's girlfriend. A safe bet would be to say that this wouldn't please him the slightest bit._

Ana doesn't want to throw his mother under the bus by exposing what she tried to do over lunch. Instead, she blames Grace's somber mood on the initial triggering issue. "She wasn't happy about Elliot having to work on Valentine's Day instead of spending it with me. I told her it was fine and that we'd make it up another day. His city contract comes first."

Christian scowls. He knows for a fact that this follow-up contract Elliot scored with the mayor mainly serves as an alibi for his indiscretions. _It's a way for him to continue doing his dirt and not be taken to task by his overly trusting girlfriend._

 _I wish Ana would open her eyes and see what's right in front of her._

 _She deserves better._

 _So much better._

"I was under the impression that Valentine's Day meant a great deal to you," he utters in a borderline sharp tone.

Ana suddenly feels put on the spot. "Well— _kinda_ , but Elliot has a growing business to run. If anything, I thought you'd be able to relate. You've been in his shoes. Look…I'm just trying my best to be a little more understanding about it."

"There is this thing called a _work/life_ balance. Elliot should know better. He has no excuse to work as much as he does. He has capable management in place to pick up the slack if he wants to celebrate Valentine's Day with his beautiful girl."

 _If she were mine, no one could pay me to keep away from her._

Christian is essentially a heartbeat away from pouring his heart out to her; a split second from exposing exactly how he's always felt about her. Instead, he holds back. _It's not time, Grey_ , he tells himself. _She's not ready to hear it._

Meanwhile, Ana doesn't have a comeback for his argument. It puzzles her that Christian is so concerned over what does or doesn't happen in her relationship with his brother. Before Ana has time to ponder the thought even more, Christian promptly changes the subject to something a little more upbeat.

"Hey, off topic…did you happen to catch the demo of the upcoming GEH/Mylegent SafeDriver system?"

…

 ** _(Three Days Later)_**

"Do you have change for a twenty?" Elliot asks the pizza delivery guy standing at Ana's apartment door.

"Sorry, I don't," the apparent teenager squeaks.

"Shit," Elliot mutters under his breath. He looks over at Ana. "Do you?"

"I'm not sure," she sighs.

"Oh…I might have something in my jeans' pocket—the ones I wore yesterday. Would you mind grabbing it? A couple of bucks should do it."

"Sure—not a problem." She hurries off into her bedroom and looks over at her desk chair where Elliot's faded jeans sit proudly. She tries his back pockets first before the front. When she reaches into the final pocket, she feels a wad of papers. Ana pulls them out and in the midst of the ball are green bills. She separates out three dollars before attempting to fold the wad of dollar bills and receipts neater than how she found it.

Suddenly, one receipt imprinted with **_Altura_** catches her eye. Altura is one of the swankiest Italian restaurants in Seattle. Then she notices the date— ** _February 14_**.

 _Oh?_

Knowing well that the delivery guy is in a hurry, Ana quickly glances over the receipt. She sees that it was for a dinner that took place at around nine p.m. There are two entrees listed that are difficult to decipher since they are abbreviated. What she does make out are two draft beers and three Mai Tais. She also recognizes the last few numbers of Elliot's personal credit card. _This is_ _ **not**_ _a business purchase._ It doesn't take Ana very long to put two-and-two together.

Upset, Ana balls up the receipt with the rest, and stuffs the cluster back inside the front pocket. She tosses the jeans onto the floor instead of the chair before marching out. Once in the living room, she shoves the cash into the delivery driver's hand, purposely missing Elliot's extended hand.

"Th…thanks," the kid stutters before shuffling off. Ana turns on her heels to retreat to her bedroom. Elliot stops the door with his foot just before she shuts it.

"What's your problem now?" he frowns

Finally, she looks him in the eyes, and it chills him. "Dinner for _two_ , Elliot? At _Altura_? _Valentine's Day_?"

"What are you talking about?" he scoffs.

"Three Mai Tais?"

"Were you snooping around?" Elliot strikes back, affronted.

Ana is beside herself. "What do you mean ' _snooping'_?! You told me to go get the tip! It was _right there_!"

"It was a _business dinner_ , Ana. With _associates_."

Ana calms down some, but her blood still boils. "Associates who only eat one entrée and drink Mai Tais? It was a _woman_ , Elliot. Please…tell the truth."

Instead of calming down long enough to reasonably plead his case with words, Elliot grunts and puffs out in severe frustration. Ana finally reaches her wit's end.

"I think you need to leave," Ana says plainly.

"Excuse me?" he scowls.

"Leave!" she cries out with a blood curdling scream.

Not knowing what else to say or how to calm her, Elliot puts on his shoes, gathers up his belongings, and leaves.

…

 ** _(The Next Day)_**

"Babe…answer the phone. Talk to me. I told you it wasn't… _Look_ —Let's talk. _Please._ You were really upset, so I left. I didn't want to go, but I had no other choice. You told me to leave. I thought that a little space would do you some good, but it's been almost twenty-four hours and you haven't answered any of my calls or texts. Don't do this, Ana. Call me. I love you."

 _*Beep*_

"Ana… _I_ …I don't know what to do here. I'm trying. I told you I didn't cheat, but you don't believe me. How can I prove it to you? You want to meet the folks from the mayor's office that I took out in between working on the city's project? I'd be more than happy to arrange it on Monday. Look… You know tomorrow's my birthday dinner. It would utterly destroy me if you didn't show up. _Destroy_ me. Don't break my heart, babe. Please. Call me back."

 _*Beep*_

"Look, I'll get video proof…whatever you need. _Please_. You can't keep ignoring me like this and not allow me to explain. _I_ …I'll come over to your place if you keep ignoring my calls, Ana. This is getting ridiculous. I told you I was sorry. I'm going to make last Saturday up to you—I promise. All I ask is that you let me do that."

 _*Beep*_

Just after Ana hears the third voice message, she rubs her eyes and Elliot calls yet again. Frustrated, she sends him straight to voicemail. Being a glutton for punishment, she plays back the message the moment it arrives.

"Ana, I have Mary Simons and Roger Polk on the line from the mayor's office."

"Hello."

"Hi there."

"I just wanted to introduce you to them and have them tell you that they were with me last Saturday night."

"Ana, you have a real good one here," a deep male voice chimes in.

"It was a very productive meeting. So sorry to keep him away from you on the night of your anniversary. I'm certain he'll make it up to you," a mature sounding female's voice adds.

"As you can see, Mr. Polk and Mrs. Simons were with me that night," Elliot defends. "Give me a call as soon as you can. Hope to talk to you soon. Bye."

…

Ana had received two deliveries today, one was two dozen red roses, while another was a large stuffed white teddy bear holding three big heart-shaped balloons. As the sun begins to set, Ana anticipates that the next time someone knocks on the door, it will be Elliot.

"Jeez, he's definitely laying it on _thick_ ," Kate frowns at Ana while seated at the kitchen table.

All Ana can do is shrug in response. _Although, Elliot did have two people who appeared to be legitimate business associates on the voice message with him._ _However, who's to say they aren't hired actors_? — Ana ponders. _He doesn't mention what day this dinner meeting took place. The other guy just said 'anniversary', which could be any day as far as anyone's concerned. No one ever said, 'Valentine's Day'._

Ana phone buzzes again on the table.

"Ana, pick up," Kate sighs. " _Please_. Or he'll come over here."

Ana groans. " _Fine_." She retrieves the phone and answers it. On a whim, she decides to put him on speaker phone, which surprises Kate.

"Hello," she murmurs.

"Ana… _God_ ," Elliot sighs frantically. "You're tearing me apart here."

"Well, how do you think _I_ feel?" she squeaks back, doing a miserable job in holding back her raw emotion. Ana glances over at Kate who urges her to stand her ground.

"Look, I know what that receipt looked like, but it isn't _that_ , I swear. There's no other girl that I love, but you. Ana, you have to understand. I…I know I haven't been around, and for that, I'm truly sorry."

The dam breaks and tears begin to stream down Ana's eyes.

"It hurts, Elliot."

"I need to see you right now."

"No," she sniffles.

"Ana… _please_."

" _I_ …I can't.

"I need you to believe me." The desperation in his voice is evident. "I'd never betray your trust, Ana."

"What you don't understand is that I can't help but feel the way that I feel. When you miss _our day_ , then I find a receipt…"

"I've already explained that!" Elliot interrupts in desperation. "I had my clients on the phone with me and everything!"

"I know!" she shouts back with a cracked voice. "But it doesn't make it hurt any less! Can't you see? We're hardly ever together…"

"That will change," he pleads. "I'm not taking any more high-profile government jobs, I promise. Please Ana, don't give up on us. We've been at this for a while now. Don't lose faith in what we have."

The waterworks are on full display as the tears pour from her sadden blue eyes. Accompanied with a tight pressure around her heart, the feeling is unbearable. Kate is itching to run up to her best friend and embrace her.

"Babe, I want to see you. I want to hold you and dry your tears."

" _I_ …I can't," she weeps. "I need…I need to be alone."

"And I need to be with _you_. Don't push me away."

"Elliot, I just…. I need to wrap my head around this."

"Then, let's do it together."

"I've got to be alone with my thoughts. I don't need you clouding my judgement."

"I'm not trying to do that," he softly pleas.

"But then you always do," she counters. "And I can't let that happen."

"So, you just want to toss us aside and not talk this out?"

"I want to talk…after I've thought about it alone."

On the other side of the phone, Elliot is at a loss. He's tried everything, and for the first time, Ana's hardened to the point of pushing back and standing firm. "Does this mean you're missing my birthday dinner?"

After a long pause, Ana clears her throat. "Of course not," she sniffles.

Elliot lets out a huge sigh of relief. "Thank God."

* * *

 ** _(THE PRESENT)_**

"Yeah? You love this cock, baby?" he breathes sensually in her ear as he melodically pushes and pulls himself inside of her. " _Your_ cock?"

" _Yes_ ," she moans. She's desperate; deliberate. "I _do_."

"You like the way it feels when I move in you this way?" His pace intensifies as he says the words, and she's on the brink of collapse. He knows it, too. He can feel her core flexing all around him, setting him ablaze. "Tell me how much," he pleads. "Let me hear that it means as much to you as it does to me."

Christian's heartfelt sensual plea prompts Ana's eyes to well up. She's slowly unraveling. "Yes… I love it," she says in a whimper. "I _need_ it." She's practically sobbing. "I need it from _you_ and _only_ you."

 _Fuck yes_ , Christian reflects triumphantly. After years of wanting her from afar, he finally has her in every way. Slowly, his hips rise, and he pivots. Each thrust is meticulous. Calculated. He studies his own ascent and descent as a painter admiring his form _and_ his subject.

As bad as Ana wants to fall apart, she can't turn away. Her eyes are watching the same thing. She sees him as an artist, too. His cock, a paintbrush. His hips, Picasso. His rhythm and moves, Baryshnikov. Ana's mouth gapes wide, making him yearn to stick his tongue inside of it, but he's in the moment. He wants to let her know what he's feeling in his heart while he's in the middle of being fearless.

"Ana, I love the moment I come inside of you," he breathes, laboring. "Each time, it's like I'm claiming you all over again. I desire to stay inside you until I'm able to do it once more. I want to fill you up to the brim with me—in every way."

She can no longer hold back. His words strike a nerve, and her body begins to convulse. The memory of the Monday after their first night together rushes back to the surface. He left his mark on her in more ways than one. Hearing him say that he aims to do exactly that makes her feel safe for once. Wanted. Loved.

Yes, _loved_. _Finally._

In no time flat, Ana's cries out as she explodes, and Christian's groan ascends, reaching a peak as he meets her right where she is. He steadies his hips and then quietly releases inside of her as her moans reverberate around them.

Instead of eating the lunch that Mrs. Jones prepared, the insatiable pair ended up making love out on the balcony of Escala. It's a gorgeous summer afternoon in Seattle as the two lovers wrap themselves up in each other as well as in the long blue blanket that Ana knitted herself.

"I love you," Christian hums after regaining his composure.

Ana responds the moment his lips part from hers. "I love you, too. By the way, lunch is cold." Her eyes and his glace over at the plates covered up on the table approximately eight feet away from them.

"I'll go warm it up," he smirks before giving her soft lips another peck.

"I didn't plan on this happening," she sighs with a shy smile.

"Well, what did you expect would happen after you forwarded me that audio from last night? I had no idea you were such an exhibitionist, Miss Steele. What made you record us?"

"Again, another unintentional moment. I was actually transcribing when you accosted me."

"So, I accosted you?" he teases, kissing her mouth once more.

"You most certainly did. I didn't have a chance to shut off the recorder."

Something enticing enters Christian's mind. "Since you enjoy _recording_ so much, how about we make our own movie tonight?"

Ana's breath hitches. "A movie?"

"Mm-hmm. You'll be the star, and I'll be your leading actor. What do you say?"

…

Hours after nightfall, Ana is perched in the center of bed, naked and draped in the necklace and bracelet given to her last Friday. Christian approaches the bed nude holding a flat, red box. Once in the bed, he kneels before Ana and presents her with the box. _Am I getting this Friday's gift three nights early?_ Puzzled, Ana opens it and reveals a set of platinum, gemmed handcuffs. Ana takes them out of the box, and they clink together as they move. She smiles big, admiring them.

Christian fights back a grin. "You like?"

Ana nods her adamant approval.

She holds them out for Christian to take. He narrows his gaze but grabs them anyway. Ana holds out her wrists for him to cuff. Instead he pounces forward like a cat and swings her arms behind her back to cuff her from behind. Ana licks her lips in erotic anticipation.

Christian pulls her forward until her forehead touches the mattress. He then moves all the way down her back, before shoving his face in between her buttocks. He grips the cuffs with one hand while devouring her like a succulent meal. Meanwhile, his other hand teases her sex. Ana loses every ounce of control.

After she comes, Christian rises and digs his knees deep into the mattress. He grips her hips and plunges into her from behind. Right from the start, he fucks her hard. In between her cries, he orders her to squeeze her walls tightly around him.

" _Squeeze_ my dick, baby."

"Ahhh," she cries out.

"Squeeze it!" he growls. When she does, he answers with, "Oh…fuck yeah…I love this pussy. It's _mine_ , all mine. You've made me your eager slave, Anastasia. Tell me…what do you want? Tell me _everything_ that you desire, and it's yours."

" _Ahhhh_!"

"Alright baby," he chuckles too briefly. "First you come, _then_ you tell me. Deal?"

Watching Ana come completely undone makes Christian lose every bit of himself in her.

* * *

 ** _A/N: Faithful Readers: I know you all are just as eager for updates as I am to put them out there. Unfortunately, since I'm working on THREE things at once (not to mention my fulltime job), I cannot guarantee an update schedule as I did for APD. Just know that I will try my best not to let two whole weeks go by without updating. That's the commitment you have from me unless I state otherwise. Keep in mind that my updates are normally well over 10k words, so if I don't post a chapter every single week, you will always see a high word count from me whenever I do post._**

 ** _And for those smallminded few who still want to complain about the span of time in between updates (like one a-hole guest reviewer did on Monday), you can either, A. Stop reading this story until it's complete, B. Feel free to quit following my story altogether because I am never going to please you, OR C. Write your own story. If you pick door C, you'll find out real quick that this shit ain't as easy as you think. Trust me._**

 ** _Switching gears on a more positive note—the push is on for my first novel, "A Nocturnal Rendezvous"! I'd like to thank those of you who've answered the call to join my reader group (Cherryville), 'like' my TK Cherry author page, and/or sign up for my newsletter on my tkcherry website. Your support means the world to me, so thank you! Last week, I shared another video teaser as well as a brand-new collage, which looks AMAZING._**

 ** _A quick update on my upcoming book: The manuscript came in from the editor and my cover is complete. This week, everything goes out to the formatter for ebook and paperback print finalization. By the way, I posted a cover tease on my birthday about a week and a half ago, but the actual cover reveal takes place on April 25_** ** _th_** ** _. However, those who are in my Cherryville FB group will see it on the 24_** ** _th_** ** _, so get in there!_**

 ** _Alright, next up in AMT-land: Elliot, you blockhead! He pulls off an epic hail Mary play right before his efforts go to complete shit. He had no idea that another former lover would reach out to Ana and therefore place one of the final nails in his coffin. Ana will be in such a bind that she reaches out to an unlikely source for help. Elliot's time is nearly up, you guys! You think he was groveling in this chapter? Just you wait, muhahahaha!_**

 ** _If you'd like to see the inspiration behind Ana's pretty black dress and 'fuck jewelry' (lmao!), check out my Pinterest page at storietella (slash) another-mans-treasure._** **:)**

 ** _Thanks for reading! – ST2_**


	9. Chapter 9

**Chapter 9** **–** **Coming or Crying**

 ** _(THE PRESENT)_**

Ana's body explodes in mini-bursts of aftershock minutes following her climax. Christian leans over on one arm and watches as she breathes deeply with her eyelids tightly clenched. _Her pleasure is most certainly mine_. He smiles to himself. The thought has a double meaning for him. He patiently waits for her heavy breathing to subside.

"How was last night?" he utters softly. "With the handcuffs. Was it too much?"

Ana's eyes spring open and she looks directly at him. "No. It was…wonderful." Her voice is shaky as she's still feeling the aftereffects of euphoria from their intense lovemaking first thing this morning. "I enjoyed it. Very much so."

Although her answer pleases him, he remains cautiously optimistic. "I never want to cross the line with you. I just figured you'd enjoy it since you insisted that I tie your wrists a few times. By the way, I've never been into breath play. Strangling during sex is definitely a first for me. You're _wild_ , Miss Steele, you know that?" With a loving smirk, he gently kisses the corner of her mouth.

With her very own shy smile, Ana shrugs. "You bring it out of me."

"I do?" he responds with a sensual squint.

The erotic bass ringing from his voice reignites the fire inside of her. "Yes," she breathes.

Christian leans in and they share a slow, passionate kiss. It's one that sends Ana soaring. Her deep breathing returns as she contemplates her whirlwind of a life over the past one month and four days.

As a test, she forces her mind to travel back five months. She tries her hardest to channel the pain and the deep feelings of betrayal she once felt. One heart wrenching event after the next seemed to compound on top of her. The pain she endured seemed irrevocable at the time. Today, Ana realizes that her heart and mind had already compartmentalized those events in the archives. Those lonely, heartbreaking moments are no longer front and center. Instead, they are now very distant memories that still sting, but don't hurt as much. It's almost as if they'd happened to someone else, not her.

Christian had done the impossible. As he'd sworn from across the table on their first date, he was going to fuck away the very thought of his brother from her memory. However, more than that, his abounding love, care, and constant attention is what drove the final dagger into Ana's pain. Before Christian, she'd never felt so wanted…so _loved_. His love alone proves that there's absolutely no way he would ever do what those other guys did to her. It was why she was able to open up to him so easily. He was no stranger to her heart, so when he knocked, she decided to let him in. However, instead of welcoming him with open arms, Ana cowered over in a corner where she remained until he was able to lure her away from the shame.

Christian had to convince her by actions alone how he'd never, ever hurt her. He knew that words no longer meant anything to her. It was words that kept her holding on to broken promises for far too long. Although he made up in his mind that he would be all action and less talk, he couldn't help but take the first opportunity to tell her how much he loved her. He loved her since the first moment he laid eyes on her. And although he knew that such a declaration on a first date night could possibly frighten her away, he refused to let another day go by without her knowing the truth.

 _"_ _I made up my mind a long time ago that I was in love with you.  
I'll take you any way that I can have you."_

Those words are now forever etched into Ana's soul. It's hard to believe that after her two long-term relationships ended in betrayal—the second way more severe than the first—she once swore that she would never love again. Today, Ana is more in love than she ever thought that she was capable of. It's a love that surpasses all logic and understanding. If she allowed herself to dwell on José's warning of moving on too fast and falling so hard, she'd perish from severe shock.

Back when Ana first agreed to go out with Christian, she mostly did so out of spite. She wanted to know how it felt to be a betrayer like Elliot. A small jaded side of her also wanted _him_ to know that she was going home after dinner to screw his brother. Even though she assumed at the time that Elliot wouldn't care that she'd moved on, she was certain he'd have major problems with _whom_ she decided to move on _with_.

Meanwhile, Christian never cared what finally led her to say _yes_. Once she was in his arms, he knew that he could love her back to life. He studied her heart for years; he knew exactly what would revive her. Any chance he got to bring Ana on his home turf, he would take it. He armed himself with a correction pen, ready and willing to revise her story. When he got the chance, he immediately changed a vengeful, heartbreaking tale into the greatest love story ever told.

When he pulls away to speak, Ana instantly longs to kiss him again. Christian begins taming her hair with his fingers.

"I asked you last night to tell me what you wanted. Have you decided?"

Feeling put on the spot, she giggles nervously. "That's such an open question. I mean…how do you expect for me to answer that? _A pink pony_? _A pot of gold_?"

"Is that what you want?" he challenges without flinching.

Ana laughs even louder. " _No_ —don't be ridiculous."

"Well…what is it, then?"

She takes a deep breath before responding. "What do you give a girl who now has everything? There's nothing left to give her." She places a gentle hand on the stubble of his chin. "You are _everything_ to me. And I mean that."

For the first time ever it seems, Christian looks down, shyly. When his eyes return to hers, they glow brighter than the sun. "You are _more_ than everything to me," he answers back. He takes her hand from his chin and brings it to his lips, letting his kiss linger. She closes her eyes and takes him in.

"I can't believe my good fortune," he grins. "I finally tricked you into loving me back."

Ana chuckles. " _Tricked_ me, huh? So now that you have me, am I doomed?"

"Yes," he responds without hesitation. "You'll be subjected to a life full of love and happiness. It's inevitable. Marriage, kids…" The moment he smooths his hand over her flat belly, she shudders. "…the whole nine yards. But way before all of that happens—London, France, Italy, Dubai… I want you to see the world. You only get a month of vacation time at work, right?"

Ana's in such a daze that all she can do is nod her reply. He is overwhelming her with so much information. It isn't as if it's the first time he's teased the idea of marriage. He'd done the same thing last month in Bend. _Now he's bringing up children?_ _Not so fast, Mr. Grey._

"One month is not nearly enough. I know you enjoy working at Mylegent, but if they can't honor the fact that you require to have way more time off than that in order to spend it with your man, then you may have to take your talent elsewhere—like Grey Enterprises Holdings, Incorporated."

While he smiles proudly, Ana gapes at him. "Excuse me?"

"Hopefully it doesn't come down to that," he continues without pausing. "You do get paid holidays, and that's great. But I think two more weeks of vacation time should do it. Or, if you have to, take unpaid time off. I'll cover your salary and double it."

Ana's eyes gape wide. She wants to interrupt and tell him that it's unnecessary. He already covers everything as it is. Meanwhile, her payroll checks just sit and accumulate interest in her savings account. Christian refuses to let her pay a single household bill, and if she wants to shop, he goes along with her and covers that bill. At most, Ana is allowed to buy groceries for the two of them whenever she's out at the nearby market.

Christian doesn't cease talking. "I figure I'd have a difficult time wooing you away from them. Mylegent has been very good to you."

"Yes. They have," she nods.

"I'll be much better," he smirks. "But I digress. I've already pressed my luck with you as it is. I shouldn't expect you to abandon ship at Mylegent. However, I do expect you to always put us first, and I will do the same, without hesitation. Deal?"

She nods and he arches forward once more in order to seal their agreement with a kiss.

Ana thinks to herself, _is this man even real?_ All she can do is stare at him in a daze. It's ironic reflecting back to that June night as she got dressed for their first date. Her first-date-night jitters were intertwined with traces of revenge. She wanted Elliot to know that she was finally sticking it to _him_ for a change.

Over a month later, Ana is singing a completely different tune. Today, she'd rather Elliot _never_ find out that she is with Christian, if she can help it. These days, she no longer fears being betrayed by the man she loves. In just a short time, Christian has already proven his undying loyalty to her. Her greatest fear now is the loss of their bubble. This very space with the love of her life has become her refuge. It's the main thing she thinks about when she's at work. Once that bubble is gone, Ana will be devastated.

 _When Elliot finds out, what's to stop him from creating outside pressure, causing me and Christian's bubble to suddenly break?_

It would suit Ana just fine if her and Christian could just keep their love a secret from the rest of the world for as long as possible.

…

 ** _(Two Weeks Later)_**

At the Mile High Club, the very same place where Christian took Ana out on their first date, the couple stands to their feet. Ana hugs Carrick while Christian kisses his mother on the cheek. After they all finish greeting one another, the two couples take their seats on opposite sides.

"I had to finally see this for myself," Carrick smiles.

Christian opens his arm and Ana automatically leans right into it. He kisses her forehead. "It's true," he hums to his father.

Carrick doesn't say the words, but everyone can read the _wow_ that's written all over his face. He assumed the moment he finally saw the two of them together would be extremely awkward, but instead, it's actually quite natural. Their love for one another is more than apparent to him. It's definitely a sight to see his youngest son so happy. _And Ana has never looked more radiant_ , he thinks.

Christian and Ana are both dressed to the nines as usual on a Friday night. He's wearing a black Tom Ford suit with matching tie, while she stuns in a form-fitting little red bodice dress. Ana has no idea where Christian is taking her after dinner. She guessed dancing, but Christian never confirmed nor denied if that was the case.

"So, what's the plan for your birthday next month?" Grace asks Ana after the wine is poured and the appetizers are ordered.

"That's right," Carrick suddenly recalls. "Does your mother plan to visit?"

"Oh, that would be wonderful," Grace gushes. "Maybe we can have her and Ray over for a little birthday celebration at the house?"

"You're _sure_ it's a good idea to have the party at the house?"

"What do you mean?" Grace frowns at her husband. "Of course."

"You remember what happened the _last time_ we threw a birthday party."

Christian smirks over at Ana, but she misses it. She's too busy moving her head back and forth between Grace and Carrick as if she's witnessing an intense game of tennis. Instead, they appear to be making plans for _her_. It's rather surreal. _Twenty-six isn't that big of a deal. It's not like I'm turning thirty_ , she thinks. Christian lifts Ana's hand and kisses it for the fourth time since they all sat down. She looks at him and immediately all of her anxieties melt away.

"Ana, don't you worry about a thing," Grace assures. " _He_ is _not_ invited."

"And how will you manage to keep him in the dark—huh?" Carrick challenges his wife.

"No party," Christian finally speaks up. "Ana and I will be in Maui." Not only does Grace gape at him, but so does Ana. He smirks at his girlfriend. "It was supposed to be a surprise. It's why I asked you to take off on your birthday and the following day."

"Oh Jeez, Christian—I didn't mean to ruin your amazing surprise. That's wonderful! Ana…" Grace leans forward towards her, "have you ever been to Maui?"

"No, I've never gone beyond the forty-eight states," Ana utters with shame. Christian lovingly caresses her lap, sending tingles up her spine. _Careful, Grey. You wouldn't want me taking you into the restroom with your parents here._

"That will change very soon," Christian informs his parents. "Ana recently obtained her passport."

"Congratulations," smiles Carrick.

"Oh…and you are going to _love_ Maui, Ana. You know…it's is my favorite Hawaiian island. Where will you be staying?" Grace turns her attention back to Christian.

"I just closed on a villa—that's how certain I am she'll love it," he winks at his lady love.

Ana nearly chokes on her wine. _Holy shit! Not only is he building a house in Bend, but he just bought another one in Maui?! Not to mention his other homes in Aspen and New York._

"Holy hell, son…you bought a villa in Maui?" Carrick is both stunned and impressed.

"Mm-hmm."

Meanwhile, Grace is over the moon. "My word…that's wonderful! Congratulations, you two!"

Ana feels lost. "Well…it's not _really_ …"

"Of course, it is, baby," Christian croons while taking both of her hands in his. "Everything I do now is for us. What's mine is yours. Don't ever second guess that."

While Grace gushes, Carrick is contemplating when's the best time to have a one-on-one talk with his son. He fears Christian might be setting himself up for a major fall, especially once Elliot catches wind of the new couple. _He's moving way too fast. Ana hasn't even had a chance to catch her breath yet._

…

Ana's eyes round out like saucers and she stops dead in her tracks. Christian is startled, but highly amused. Her gaze is affixed on the marquee on top of The Paramount Theater.

 _Now Playing:_ _ **CATS**_

Suddenly Ana bursts out laughing. Christian is taken aback.

"You don't like it? I mean, we don't have to go if you don't…"

Ana jumps up and throws her arms around his neck, knocking the wind right out of him. Christian laughs.

"I've always wanted to see this play. How did you know?"

"I didn't. I just figured that you would enjoy it. It's a pretty good play."

"You've seen it before?"

"No, I haven't seen Cats, but I've seen many other plays on Broadway. I did read positive reviews of the traveling tour for this one. I thought we'd check it out."

In a flash, Ana has a memory of Elliot laughing at her wanting to see this very play years ago, but the thought quickly dissolves. She kisses Christian quickly and then pulls back to witness the boyish grin on his face.

"Did I do good?" he asks with gray eyes filled with hope.

"Yes, Mr. Grey—you've done _real_ good," Ana lovingly smiles back. Christian answers her kiss with one of his very own before he places her back on solid ground.

Hand in hand, the couple walks towards the theater.

* * *

 ** _(THE PAST – Five Months Ago)_**

Ana cautiously enters through the front door past the doorman hired just for the night. At first glance, she doesn't recognize anyone. She assumes that most of the other attendees are simply good friends of Grace and Carrick. When she enters the great room, she realizes that that number of _thirty_ that Grace spouted off to her the last time they spoke about headcount has increased exponentially. Ana soon spots her friends gathered in a cluster: Kate and boyfriend Keenan, Tammy and her husband Marty, recently engaged José and Maria, and Doren—who's solo.

Ana approaches the crew and greets them each with a hug. "Where's Isa?" she addresses Tammy and Doren with a frown. "And Noah?"

"Isa and Rick couldn't make it," says Tammy.

"And I don't think Noah got an invite," Doren adds.

Ana sighs. "I'll apologize to him on Monday. As you can see, I wasn't responsible for putting this together."

"You most certainly didn't," José gapes. "This is some _real_ fancy shit here. In fact, I feel a little underdressed."

Ana appraises his striped polo and jeans. "You're absolutely fine."

"I don't know…it is a little bougie in here," Doren utters under his breath. A few members of the group laugh.

"So, fashionably late, I see," José ribs Ana. She rolls her eyes.

"I'm surprised she even showed up at all," Kate rolls her eyes as well.

"Yeah…Kate mentioned you and Elliot got into a huge fight the other night," Tammy contributes with a scandalous whisper.

" _What_?! Are you serious?" José gapes in shock. "Why have I not heard about this?"

Ana gives a sober nod. "We were at Kate's and my apartment. I told him to leave."

"What happened?" José asks.

Before she can open her mouth, Christian walks over.

"Hey," he greets Ana. They hug.

 _Damn_ , she sighs, _he smells so good. Oh—I feel muscles..._ "Hi," she breathes as they pull away from one another.

Christian furrows a brow at her. "You just getting here?"

Ana nods. "Yep."

"You know, the party started an hour and a half ago?" He smirks.

"It did?" Ana feigns surprised, causing Kate to laugh.

"Ana loves making an entrance."

Christian turns towards the voice and sees José, who steps closer to Ana. Christian instantly turns cold.

"Oh—Christian," Ana is suddenly reminded, "these are my very good friends. This is José. And that pretty lady over there is his fiancée, Maria." Maria steps beside José and he wraps a loving arm around her. He then puts out a hand towards Christian.

"Nice to meet you, man," José smiles.

Instantly, Christian softens. "Hey, pleased to meet you, too." He then shakes Maria's hand. "Congratulations. When is the big day?"

"We don't…"  
"Next fall," Maria says right away over José.

José is thrown off for a split second, but then he beams wide at his fiancée. "Next fall," he echoes.

"This is my best friend Kate and her boyfriend, Keenan," Ana continues with introductions. "This is Tammy and her husband Marty. And this is Doren."

"I've seen you two at Mylegent," Christian says to Doren mid-handshake before turning to look back at Tammy. Meanwhile, Tammy seems to be punch drunk. Ana begins to wonder if Tammy has already done some damage over at the bar.

"Yeah, we work with Ana," Doren speaks for both he and Tammy.

"Pleasure to meet everyone," Christian says kindly. "Ana, I'll let Mother know you're here. She was worried something might've happened to you."

"Thanks. Have you seen Elliot?"

Once again, Christian's smile cools. "He's around."

The moment Ana breathes, she realizes that she'd been holding her breath the whole time. She can't explain why she even entertained the thought of Elliot not showing up for his own party, even though he'd begged her the night before to be here. At the same time, she's assured that Grace would've gone out and drag him here herself if she needed to.

When Christian pardons himself and steps away, Ana turns to her friends.

Tammy looks up at her husband, Marty. "I don't know if you know this or not, but you just shook the hand of my hall pass." While Marty smirks at his wife, the others laugh. "There's no reason on earth for that man to be so freaking _fine_. No reason whatsoever. Couldn't he have saved that yumminess for someone else? I mean…really."

"I'd take some of that swagger," Doren shrugs. "Christian Grey is definitely _the man_."

"Dude is ridiculously hot. Like…no lie," Kate adds on, to her boyfriend's dismay.

"Mm-hmm," Maria hums. José lovingly pokes her side with his elbow.

Meanwhile, Ana is feeling really uncomfortable with her friends fawning over Elliot's younger brother.

"Ana…tell me you haven't lusted over him. I dare you. It's impossible. That is one-hundred-percent pure Grade A man meat right there," Tammy stares at Christian from across the room. " _All_ man."

While the others laugh, Ana just sighs. "Marty, get your wife, please."

…

"Babe…you made it."

Elliot doesn't give Ana a chance to speak. He's all over her, hugging her so tightly that she can barely breathe. He gazes into her eyes, pulls her chin up, and lowers his mouth to kiss hers. Although his kiss is sincere, Ana feels nothing. She is still confused over that dinner receipt she found in his pocket two days ago.

"I told you I'd be here," she answers with very little emotion.

Her aloofness is more than evident to Elliot. "I wish we could blow this popsicle stand. I had no idea Mom was going to invite so many fucking people. Hang in there. You and I are going to celebrate all week. That's _if_ it's okay with you."

Ana desperately wants to believe that Elliot is willing to turn over a new leaf and put them first for a change. However, she's hesitant to get her hopes up. She's afraid that once she does that, he will do something else to let her down again. For her, it's a vicious cycle that she wished would end. But the only person who has the power to stop it is Elliot.

She almost forgot that they were standing front and center until she catches nearly everyone at the party stealing glances at them. When Ana doesn't spot one face in particular, she turns back to Elliot.

"Where's Steve?"

Elliot brushes his hand as to dismiss him. "He had to go out of town."

Ana notices that his words and his expression don't line up. She idly wonders if there's now some bad blood there. She doesn't entertain the thought for very long. If anything, she'd rather sort out _their_ rift before venturing into bromance territory. Still, it doesn't go unnoticed that _Steve_ is definitely a name that Ana hasn't heard mentioned in a while.

"So…I told you that I'd like to celebrate all week with you."

"Yeah…for your birthday," Ana squints. Technically, his birthday falls on tomorrow, which is a Monday. "How are you planning on doing that? You have to work."

Elliot chuckles. "Well first of all, I decided to take the week off." Ana gapes at him. "My team agreed to step up in my absence. I got us a room for the week at the Fairmont Olympic Hotel."

Ana is astonished. "The _week_? But…I have to work…"

"I know," he laughs. "The cool thing about it is that it's a two-minute walk from your office. I'll be patiently waiting for you to come back to the hotel. And when you do, we'll order insane amounts of room service before making love all night." He caresses her cheek. "I'll be trying my damnedest to make up for screwing up our anniversary. I really fucked up, Ana."

She shrugs. "Well…"

"And by the way, I wasn't talking about celebrating my birthday," he smirks, leaving her even more confused than before.

"So, what is it? What are we celebrating?" She looks up at him for the answer.

All of a sudden, Elliot drops down on one knee. Ana's widen eyes nearly consume her face. A chorus of gasps fill the room and it suddenly grows completely silent.

"For three months, I tried to get you to go out with me," Elliot smiles up wide at her. "The moment you finally said _yes_ , it completely changed my life. Now…if I only could hear you say it one last time after I ask this question, I'll be the happiest man on earth. Well, actually, I'm going to need you to say it at least _one more time_ after tonight. Or an ' _I do'_ will suffice."

A chorus of adoring laughter fills the room, but Ana is much too stunned to look away from Elliot's engaging blue eyes. He tugs at his front pocket and soon reveals a stunning diamond ring—a princess cut. Ana can't believe her eyes.

"Anastasia Steele…will you marry me? _Pretty please_?" he chuckles nervously.

Ana's eyes finally pry away from his and begin to scan the room. She catches sight of Grace wrapped up in Carrick's arms, and she's on the verge of tears. Ana then looks over at her friends who are either stunned or ecstatic. Finally, she searches and finds Christian in the crowd. He is not smiling like all the rest. The best way to describe his expression is _the ultimate poker face_.

Ana looks back down at Elliot who anxiously awaits her answer. _Why is he doing this?_ —she ponders to herself. _Couldn't this have waited until_ _ **after**_ _we sorted out our problems?_ Ana feels as though she is being put in a very difficult position.

 _Should I say 'no' or 'not right now'?_ **_Nothing_** _has been resolved between us. Sure, he said that he's taking the week off from work, but what happens after that? Will he return to being Neglectful Elliot?_ In spite of their present dilemma, Ana is confident that they will eventually figure things out. She is also certain that she loves Elliot, and she believes that he loves her, too—in his own _Elliot way_.

" _Yes_."

The moment the word escapes Ana's mouth in a whisper, the entire crowd erupts as if she shouted out her response. Elliot is so elated that he trembles as he slides the ring onto her finger. He then springs up, lifts her in the air, and kisses her soundly for all to see.

As the party begins to make their way towards the newly engaged couple, Ana catches a glimpse of Christian's back as he storms out of the room.

…

"My goodness, that party came out _wonderfully_." Grace has been floating on a cloud all evening long. She's in the kitchen with Elliot and Carrick as the hired staff puts away the last of the dishes. "Are you going to ask Steve to be your best man?"

Elliot frowns. "Hell no. I was going to ask my brother. I've been looking for him all night, but he'd already taken off earlier."

"He didn't even say goodbye," she utters with deep concern. I'll give him a call after I contact The Times about your engagement announcement."

"Kate, Ana's roommate, she's already on it. She works for a PR firm and one of their clients is The Times," Elliot tells her.

"Splendid. One less thing for me to do. Still, I'll have to reach out to the other local publications in the morning. We can't leave any stone unturned. I'll go ahead and check in on Christian," she beams bright before stepping out of the room.

"You know…you just made your mom's day," Carrick proudly pats his son on the shoulder.

"I can tell," Elliot chuckles. "She hasn't stood still for fifteen seconds since I've proposed to Ana. She's been zipping all over the place, already planning the wedding. I told her that Ana and I will have to decide on the date."

"And you think your mother will just sit back and do nothing until _after_ you two set a date?"

Elliot playfully slaps his own forehead. "Stupid me, what was I thinking?"

…

 ** _(The Next Day)_**

The last twenty-four hours have been a whirlwind for Ana. Last night after the party, she'd called her parents and sprung her engagement news on each of them. Although her stepfather assumed that it was coming sometime soon, her mother had least expected it.

 _"_ _You sure that's what you want to do, sweetheart?  
I know you love Elliot very much.  
But shouldn't you guys resolve your issues  
before rushing to the altar?"_

 _"_ _Believe me, we aren't rushing anywhere  
until that's taken care of," Ana assured Carla._

At the office today, Ana felt overwhelmed by all of the well-wishers, many of them hearing the news through the media. She had no idea how big of a deal being engaged to a Grey would be. At one point, she began sympathizing for the future person who ends up getting engaged to Christian Grey, the most notable Grey of them all.

Thankfully, Ana doesn't have to sit in traffic at all this evening. She is literally a two-minute walk from the Fairmont Olympic Hotel, which will be her and Elliot's home for the week. As Ana gathered her belongings and marched towards the elevator, she couldn't help but wonder what made Elliot decide to do this. They could've just as easily stayed at his apartment for a weeklong celebration. It would've been less expensive taking that route.

But Elliot had insisted on the change of scenery for their week of celebrating and reconciling, so Ana didn't argue. They had a wonderful night following their engagement. She was curious what he had in store for them this evening.

As Ana exits the revolving door, her phone begins ringing in her purse. She stops just short of going down the stairs and digs deep inside of her shoulder bag to retrieve it. Once in her hands, she checks the screen and sees that it's Christian. She blinks, instantly recalling that he'd left the party the moment she'd said _yes_ to his brother's proposal.

"Hey." She tries to juggle the phone in her ear and the large bag on her shoulder as she reaches back inside of it for her umbrella.

"Hello. Did I catch you at a bad time?"

"No, as a matter of fact. I'm just leaving work." After the umbrella expands, Ana makes her way down the stairs.

"You're on your way to wait in traffic, too, huh?"

Although his words aren't heavy, Ana can feel the sheer weightiness of them through his labored tone. "Actually, I'm not driving today. Elliot and I are staying at the Fairmont Olympic for the week. It's just a short walk from my office building."

Christian is silent.

"Hey—you left early last night. Elliot and I were looking for you. Is everything okay?"

"Look," he finally speaks. "Can you spare five or ten minutes to chat?"

Ana spots a park bench and makes her way towards it. "Sure."

"I think you're making a terrible mistake marrying my brother."

Ana feels affronted. "Excuse me?"

"Hear me out," he gently pumps the brakes. "I don't know how much he's told you about his past before Grace and Carrick adopted him. You already know all about mine."

"He hasn't said much about it." Ana squints while looking straight ahead and sees droves of business professionals scatter and head in separate directions. "As far as he's concerned, Carrick and Grace are his parents."

Christian seemingly ignores the last part of Ana's statement. "I'm not sure if he'll ever tell you."

Her interest is more than piqued. "What is it?"

"His birth parents were very well-to-do. His father was a womanizing asshole. After he left Elliot and his mother to start another family, Elliot's mother fell into a deep depression. She was eventually committed to a psychiatric facility. Not long before that, Elliot became a ward of the state."

Ana gasps and clenches her chest, feeling deeply sorry for her fiancé. She fights back tears. Suddenly, her empathy turns into confusion; confusion towards the messenger.

"I mean… _Wow_ …that's _really_ heartbreaking. But what does this have to do with me marrying Elliot? Why would that be a problem?"

"There's a _history_ …"

She cuts him off. "He has nothing to do with the sins of his father. In fact, he doesn't even know his birth parents since he was so young when he was placed in foster care. So, how can he emulate his birth parents if all he knows is the perfect example of a loving marriage through Grace and Carrick? They've set the perfect example for the two of you, and Mia."

Ana can feel her blood temperature rising by the second. She has no idea what Christian's angle is and why he's so against her marrying his brother. Then her mind's eye flashes back to last night when Elliot lifted her up in the air, and she saw Christian's back as he turned to leave.

 _What is his deal?_

"Ana, there is so much information you are missing here. That's just the tip of the iceberg. Look… all I ask is that you don't rush into marriage. The truth will come out."

The strain is evident in Christian's voice. On the other end of the line, he's suited up and slumped in the backseat of his luxury SUV, rubbing his tightly clenched eyes hard. He didn't get a single wink of sleep last night. All he could think about was his last chance evaporating. The one who was least deserving had snatched away his destiny.

 _Elliot knew his time was running out_ , Christian thinks. _He could sense that Ana was about to leave him._ When Christian's PI followed his brother to Robbins Brothers two days ago, Christian knew exactly what Elliot was up to. After all, the tagline etched on the building after the Bellevue jeweler's name is: 'The Engagement Ring Store'.

It took every ounce of restraint on Christian's part not go over to Ana's apartment and tell her absolutely everything. Lately, Elliot has been playing his hand fairly close to his chest. It's been five months since he was seen romancing women other than his girlfriend in public. Christian has a strong hunch that Elliot's _side piece du jour_ works at Grey Construction, and they've decided to keep their 'activities' out of the streets of Seattle. _It's much easier to hide your other lover if you're always at work and she's always there, too,_ Christian pondered at one time.

"How do you know about Elliot's birth parents, anyway?" Ana snaps back accusatorily, throwing Christian off balance. "He's never told me about them. I don't think even _he_ knows about his parents."

 _Ana may be right_ , Christian considers. _Elliot probably doesn't know everything about his birth parents._ The only thing Grace and Carrick know about Elliot's past was that he was the only child of a woman who was mentally ill. Christian had only recently located the full truth through extensive research. He hadn't told anyone about his findings. Until now.

Suddenly he regrets taking this route. Instead of leading Ana to finally see the truth, he has made her irritated with him. If anything, she appears to be more sympathetic towards Elliot than she was before. Christian initially thought that this reveal would be the perfect bridge to segue into Elliot's dangerous behavior with Ana. He has seriously miscalculated. The only choice he has at the moment is to commit to what he had just said.

"This is the same guy who refused to tell you about our teenage sister dying of cancer, even after a year-plus of you two dating," Christian gripes. Internally, he is grateful that the appropriate comeback exited his mouth instead of something else. _Like the roll call of all the other women he's been fucking._ He quickly dismisses the thought.

"A lot of people opt not to discuss their pain. It's natural…" Ana stops herself mid-sentence as she rises from the damp bench. "I actually thought you were calling to congratulate me. I didn't expect you to throw your own brother under the bus."

"Look…Ana…that's not my intent." Christian is becoming rather frustrated. _Open your eyes, Anastasia. It's right fucking there._

"You could've fooled me. Hey…I've gotta go."

"Ana…"

"Don't worry. I won't tell Elliot what you just said," Ana practically snarls. "Goodbye, Christian."

The moment Ana hangs up, all the breath that remained leaves Christian's body.

…

 ** _(The Next Day)_**

Although Ana had the perfect evening with Elliot at the Fairmont Olympic last night, there was still a dark cloud lingering. The phone call from Christian threw everything off balance. Unfortunately, Christian's actions have negatively affected Ana's view of him. She can't imagine sitting across the dinner table from him ever again after knowing what preconceived notions he has towards her fiancé, his own brother.

As promised, she never brought up the phone call to Elliot. However, she's considering having a heart-to-heart discussion with Grace. If Ana is going to be a permanent member of this family, she feels that everyone needs to be on the same page. She also feels that whatever Christian's problem is with his brother, the two of them need to resolve it quickly, and without involving her.

Even at work, the tense feeling never subsides. She stays busy in the office, but there's this constant constriction going on in her gut. Ana chalks it up to the uneasiness of Christian's phone call. But deep down inside, her intuition is setting off all sorts of alarms. It's a human instinct that often goes ignored.

Ana has five minutes before her next meeting when her desk phone rings.

"Mylegent. This is Ana speaking."

She hears a panicking breath on the line before the caller speaks.

"Um… _hello_?"

Ana immediately thinks it's a telemarketer from overseas. She decides to let them know that they've reached a place of business, and what they're selling isn't wanted here. "Yes—you've reached Mylegent Insurance. How can I help you?"

"Ana? Ana Steele? _This_ …this is Gretchen. _I_ …I used to work for the Greys? Miss Grace and Mister Carrick?" she says in a thick eastern European voice.

Ana's eyes spring wide open. "Gretchen?"

"Yes. You may not remember me…"

"No, no… I remember you," Ana trembles slightly. She is now very nervous. _Why is she calling me?_ Ana recalls the many times Grace mentioned how Gretchen had seemingly disappeared from the face of the earth after quitting abruptly. Now, the woman in question sits on the phone. That constricting feeling inside of Ana's belly intensifies.

"I was wondering if you and I could meet up this afternoon and speak in private? If possible, I prefer you not tell anyone I've contacted you."

Ana is stunned. " _W_ …why? Why do you need to speak with me? What is this all about?"

All of a sudden, a feeling of dread overwhelms her. The last time a strange woman begged to speak to her, it was a jaded ex-girlfriend of Elliot's. _Oh no—_ _ **please**_ _don't let this be about Elliot. Please. We are doing so good right now. The moment that he's back on track, people suddenly come out of the woodwork with all this negativity. First, his own brother. Now…_

 _I just hope she's not calling about Elliot._

 _Whatever she says, I won't believe her. I can't._

"I can't say over the phone," Gretchen whispers. "We need to meet face to face, and I will tell you. Can you meet me at the coffee shop on Sixth Avenue?"

 _I know exactly where that is. It's a stone's throw away from here._ "What time?" Ana sighs.

"When do you get off from work? How's 5:30?"

"5:15," Ana revises.

"Yes, 5:15. I will see you then. Thank you so much for agreeing to meet with me."

Ana hears the pain evident in her voice, and for the rest of the afternoon, she'd be unable to focus on anything else.

…

It has been well over a year and a half since Ana last saw Gretchen working in Grace and Carrick's home. The sight of the former housekeeper is quite surreal. Gretchen walks in step along with a dark-haired woman of similar age and height. After Gretchen nods, her friend walks in the other direction. Gretchen then approaches Ana's small table. Before today, Ana had only seen Gretchen in her black and white housekeeping uniform with her hair pulled back. Now with her long blonde hair flowing free past her breasts over her red coat, Gretchen is more beautiful than ever.

Struggling to breathe, Ana stands. In jeans and black boots, Gretchen looks every bit of the young supermodel on her day off. Meanwhile, Ana can sort of relax knowing that she now has more time than she originally thought she'd have. Oddly enough, Elliot texted her earlier to inform her that he'd be going in to work this afternoon. However, he promised to meet her back at the hotel before ten. _Is Elliot already falling back into his old ways?_ —Ana considered. _He promised that it would just be him and me this week with no interruptions. But realistically, how can I expect him not to work when I'm working?_ As usual, she gives her now fiancé the benefit of the doubt.

Still, her impending meeting with Gretchen made Ana just a bit more curious. However, every time something springs up that places Elliot in a bad light, he always has a somewhat valid excuse for it. Would this be another one of those times?

If anything comes out of this talk with Gretchen, at least Ana will have Elliot's undivided attention at the hotel tonight. The two will be able to discuss what Elliot is being accused of, and the betrothed can move forward as a strong unit.

 _That's_ _ **if**_ _she's here to talk about Elliot_ , Ana reminds herself for the tenth time.

"Thanks for meeting me on such short notice," Gretchen utters softly.

Ana nods. "Will your friend be joining us?"

"No. I told her we needed to speak alone. She will wait."

After Ana takes her seat, she instantly feels guilty that Gretchen had sat down empty handed, while she sips on tea. "Did you want anything? I've got it," Ana insists as she starts to rise. Wearing a kind expression, Gretchen reaches across the table to stop her. She holds down Ana's arm.

"No, that won't be necessary. Thank you."

"Are you sure?" Ana frowns.

"I'm sure." When Gretchen smiles, her sadness is evident.

Ana readjusts her seat. "So…" she prompts.

With her hand still on Ana's arm, Gretchen pulls Ana's hand towards her. Gretchen's eyes now fixate on Ana's diamond ring. Gretchen then closes her eyes and releases a shaky exhale. "It's beautiful," she breathes, full of sadness. "He did good. Very good."

Right away, Ana no longer has any doubt who Gretchen is here to talk about. "I presume you saw in the papers that we got engaged on Sunday?"

"I..." Gretchen struggles with her words. " _Y_ …yes. I saw the paper. Congratulations."

Ana is thrown for a loop. _Whoa—she congratulated me._ The memory isn't lost on Ana how bitter Gretchen had always looked at her whenever she'd come to Bellevue on Sundays with Elliot. Ana guessed that Gretchen always had some sort of crush on her boyfriend. But now, she finally gets to hear the truth from the woman herself. Fortunately, Ana doesn't have to prompt her again.

"Before you and Elliot were together, he and I were lovers for quite a while." Ana gapes at her, but she continues. "No one knew. It was our secret. I soon fell in love with him. And I thought he loved me at some point. He promised me that he would eventually tell his family about us. I…I trusted that he would do what he said he would do. So, I kept hanging on."

Ana begins to slowly sink into her chair, listening as this woman begins pouring her heart out to her—all of the pain, all of the anguish that she carried. The anguish over loving a man who apparently didn't love her back.

"I got fed up. I was going to leave. I was going to quit the Greys. But Elliot convinced me to stay. He told me to wait until the time was right, and he and I would go public."

The knife slowly twists inside of Ana's heart. _I was inches away from leaving him, but he used this ring and a promise to pull me back in._

"I waited and waited for him. And then, I got pregnant."

Ana almost knocks over her tea. "Pregnant?"

Gretchen nods sadly. " _He_ …he didn't want our baby. He made me get an abortion."

Ana is totally beside herself. "He _what_?" If Ana could scream, she would. Her thoughts and emotions run rampant. _When we started dating, he insisted that I get an IUD and nothing else. That asshole!_ As Ana witnesses Gretchen trying very hard to keep it together, she reins in her own emotions.

"I truly thought that he loved me. I thought he'd be happy about the baby. He didn't want me. He didn't want the baby. He said that I lied to him about being on the pill. I didn't _lie_." She sniffs as if to keep herself from crying, and Ana's heart suddenly breaks for her.

"Then three weeks after he made me go to the clinic, he started bringing you over to the house. I became very depressed. I hung on for as long as I could—I hung on by a thread, but I just couldn't do it anymore. So, I talked to my close friend, who's also an au pair, and she got her host family to agree to let me stay with them until I found a new home to work in."

" _So_ …wait a minute…" Ana is trying with all of her might to digest everything that she's heard, but it's too hard of a pill to swallow. "You and Elliot…you were _together_? As a _couple_?"

Gretchen answers with a sorrowful nod. "Yes. He said that I was his, and that he was mine. Miss Grace didn't know. Nobody in the family knew. Elliot said that if anyone ever found out, I would probably be fired and sent back to Romania."

Ana shock morphs into rage. _He used fear to keep this poor girl right in her place. But he certainly had zero problems fucking her!_ Ana closes her eyes, and for the third time she tries to reel in her extreme emotions. _Stay cool, Ana. Don't frighten Gretchen. You only need to listen and arm yourself with the information._

 _You're not crawling out of_ _ **this**_ _hole, Elliot Grey._

Ana fights past the lump in her throat. "Have you spoken to Elliot since you left the Greys?"

Gretchen shakes her head. "No. I haven't talked to him or seen him since I left. Nor has he reached out to me…which was very hurtful. He knew all that I'd sacrificed for him. He still didn't care."

Ana knows that this girl is telling the truth. _Now, what will Elliot have to say for himself?_ If anything, Ana is pretty sure his argument will be that Gretchen was a thing of the past, and that all of these things happened way before Elliot and Ana got together. However, in Ana's eyes, it doesn't excuse him for keeping Gretchen in the dark and then surprising her by bringing over his new girlfriend. _I'm certain Gretchen was absolutely blindsided!_ Immediately, Ana feels deep empathy for her. She reaches across the table, takes Gretchen's hand, and squeezes it.

"I'm so sorry about what happened…I am. Really, I didn't know. I had _no clue_."

"I know. And I'm so sorry for hating you at the time. You had nothing to do with it. It was all him." Gretchen's sincere brown eyes swim in tears that refuse to fall.

"I think Elliot has _many_ secrets. I believe you're just one of many. I am not going to marry him until I get to the bottom of it. That's if I marry him at all," Ana declares through gritted teeth.

"Oh, you won't get to the bottom of it," Gretchen says eerily. Ana flinches at her words. "Elliot is the king of excuses." Ana sighs knowing that she is absolutely right. "He also worked very hard to keep us a secret. The only person who ever saw us together was his friend, Steve."

 _Steve, Elliot's now invisible partner in crime. Of course_ , Ana rolls her eyes to herself.

"Talk to Steve alone. Get him to tell you. At least he is a very bad liar."

Although Gretchen says the words with a straight face, Ana can't help but chuckle at the irony.

…

Before Elliot finally got to the hotel last night, Ana had plenty of time to mull over her meeting with Gretchen. She'd even worked up enough nerve to confront him, against Gretchen's advice. Eventually, Ana ending up talking herself out of it.

Still, she couldn't quite figure out how to put on a smiling face and pretend like nothing happened. Out of everyone who's tried to warn her about Elliot, Gretchen's testimony seemed the most damning. Gretchen's timing of events made sense. Her actions that followed made sense. The deep expression of hurt and betrayal etched across her face as she told her side of the story made it seem very real to Ana. _There's no way she's lying. No way_ , Ana tells herself.

Obviously, Elliot would badger Ana to find out what was wrong with her. Since it was fairly late, it was easy for her to blame it on fatigue and work stress. But when Elliot kissed her and she didn't fall into him as she'd normally would, he knew that something else was bothering her. All Ana could do was insist that she should sleep off the crabbiness, and she'd be in a much better mood in the morning.

Ana was beyond grateful that Elliot was still asleep this morning as she got ready for work. She'd awaken with a heavier burden stacked against her chest than she had the night before. So, during her short walk to work, she decides to call someone in order to talk through her lingering anxiety. The first ring shatters her to the point of regret. She decides to give it just two more rings before hanging up. To her dismay, it only takes one more.

"Ana?"

Christian is stunned, not only by her calling this early, but that even called him at all. He could've sworn that he ruined everything with her two nights ago. Ever since she hung up on him, his sleepless brain has traversed all of the possible options he could take in order to make things right with her again. His intense anger regarding her decision to marry his brother has not quelled his burning feelings for her. For nearly two years, Christian has loved her. He's never loved a woman like this, and he promised himself to never love another again.

 _Love requires a loss of control_ , he'd once pondered. _And the very first time I surrender control and allow myself to fall deeply in love with someone, I stupidly chose a woman that I couldn't have. Now, I will_ _ **never**_ _have her._

"Hey…did I…"

"Is everything okay?" he cuts her off, sensing the strain in her voice.

"What's the scientific evidence on nature versus nurture? I'm actually starting to believe in what you said the other day."

Christian deeply exhales and relief slowly rushes in. _Thank God._ Yet, there's a prick in his heart knowing that Ana is hurting deeply over something. _What in the fuck did Elliot do this time?_

"Where are you?"

"I'm walking to work."

 _Oh, right,_ Christian frowns to himself. _She's still at the hotel with Elliot, and my contact told me that he was out late last night. I wonder whose perfume he smelled of when he came back to The Fairmont._

"Are you going to be okay? _I_ …I have a very important meeting in a few moments with some people who flew in from Taiwan…"

"Oh…I'm sorry…I…"

"No—it's fine. We can meet for a late lunch. Will that work? Or if you need to talk right now, I can postpone my meeting…"

"No, please…don't do that. Go to your meeting. I can do lunch."

"Alright good. I'll have Taylor pick you up at one. How does that sound?"

"Sure."

…

Ana could tell that Christian just showered as she sits across from him at the restaurant. His hair appears to be a little damp, but it's not currently raining. She's also surprised that the founder and CEO of a multi-billion-dollar company who had just met with foreign business associates is wearing jeans and a leather jacket instead of a suit.

"Sorry…I had to squeeze in a quick last-minute workout," he exhales before taking a drink of water.

 _You absolutely work out._ Ana closes her eyes, trying very hard to push her wayward thoughts aside and remember why she phoned Christian this morning in the first place.

"I hope this isn't too late for you. I'll feel bad if you were starving while waiting on me."

Before Ana can respond, Christian quickly waves over the waitress. The young lady is awestruck the moment she captures an eyeful of the handsome billionaire. To Ana's surprise, he doesn't pay the waitress' expression any mind.

"Can we start right away with bread and a two of your house salads while we decide what we want?" Christian requests.

"S…sure," the waitress stutters. "Did you need anything else to drink besides water?"

Christian looks directly at Ana, who silently shakes her head.

"Water is fine," Christian answers. He immediately turns away from the waitress and looks Ana directly in the eye. Meanwhile, the waitress is still in a daze. It takes her a moment to snap out of it and hop to it.

"What happened?" Christian asks.

"I…I don't want to say too much." After calling him this morning, Ana began to regret involving Christian in any of this.

"If you're worried that I'll tell anyone, don't. Your secret is safe with me."

"Actually, it's not my secret," she murmurs.

Christian arches a confused brow at her. "Elliot didn't cheat on you?"

"I have no idea," Ana blinks.

"What do you mean by that? Either he has or he hasn't."

"Well…this isn't about that. Even though, we did get into a big fight two nights before his birthday party."

 _And the truth comes out_ , Christian frowns to himself. He could sense that there was definitely some tension going on between Elliot and Ana early at the party. Christian knew something extreme had to have taken place in order for his brother to feel so compelled to propose to Ana in the manner that he did.

"What did he do?"

Ana is taken aback by him getting straight to the point. He appears to know right out the gate that Elliot had done something significant to hurt her. "I'd found a dinner receipt in his pocket Friday night. It was dinner for two on Valentine's Day. He swore to me that it was a meeting between him and two people from the mayor's office, and not some intimate dinner with another woman. He actually put the two people on the phone to speak with me."

 _Did Welch drop the fucking ball?!  
Why am I just now hearing about this?_  
Wearing a scowl, Christian pulls his phone out of his jacket and is shortly stabbing something out on the keypad before putting it back. "Alright. What else?"

"What did you just do?" Ana gapes at him.

"I'm looking into something. So, tell me, what happened to make you reconsider what I told you the other night? I was certain that I'd pissed you off."

"You did," Ana responds earnestly.

"I hope you know that wasn't my intent," Christian defends. His once harsh gray eyes are now pensive.

"I know that now."

He huffs in slight agitation. "Ana, I'm chomping at the bit here. What happened this morning?"

"Wait," she halts him with her hand. "Who did you just text? What's going on?"

Christian sighs long and closes his eyes. "I've been having Elliot followed."

" _What_?" Ana gasps.

"And yes…I'm quite sure he was cheating on you most of the time. Although, I haven't seen him with anyone lately. This is my first-time hearing about Valentine's Day, which irritates the hell outta me. I should've known he'd be up to no good that night," he growls.

Ana groans and doubles over. Her heart feels like it's been stabbed a hundred times in only a second. "I'm going to be sick."

Christian hurries out of his seat and pulls his chair around the table. He positions himself right next to Ana. With one arm, he pulls her into his side and tries to comfort her. "I'm sorry."

She suddenly looks up at him with tears streaming down her face. "How long?"

"How long have I been following him? Since fall. It started when I saw him kissing another woman the night that he was supposed to be with you at your friend's photography exhibit opening."

" _Oh my God_ ," she sobs. Christian rubs her arm even more as she squirms under his shoulder from the pain of betrayal.

"You don't deserve that. You _never_ deserved it," he says through gritted teeth.

She slowly shows her face. With red tearstained eyes, she turns her head and looks at Christian sideways. "Yet, you watched him for months as he cheated on me. And then you let him put a ring on my finger, even after knowing about it."

"Ana," he laughs nervously before immediately dropping every ounce of humor. "You don't know how long I've wanted to tell you… _believe me_. And when I finally find the nerve to say something, you get upset with me."

"You started talking about his _birth parents_ ," she frowns tearfully. "I'm pretty sure I wouldn't have had the same reaction if you had just come out and told me that my fiancé has been cheating on me. That's _much_ different than what you ended up saying."

"That was simply a lead-in to the larger reveal," Christian states in his own defense. "I would have told you everything had you given me the chance."

Ana shakes her head in frustration. " _Men_ …I swear to _God_."

Christian winces. "You know he has a bullshit excuse for every single accusation thrown his way. And you've always believed him. That's why I needed concrete evidence. I was still working on that. If I'd told you sooner that he was cheating on you, who would you've believed?"

" _You_ ," Ana growls without hesitation. Christian is floored.

The waitress interrupts with salad and breadsticks and then gapes when she realizes that the pair are now sitting side by side, practically on top of each other, and having a private moment. Still, she continues to moon over Christian, while his eyes are dead set on Ana. Finally catching the hint, the waitress promises to give them a few minutes to decide on their order before dashing away.

"I saw Gretchen yesterday—your mom's former housekeeper," Ana reveals. "She told me that her and Elliot were secretly together before I came along. He promised her that they'd be together soon…you know…out in the open. When she got pregnant, he made her get rid of it. Then he abandoned her when he started seeing me."

Christian doesn't flinch at the news.

"Did you know about them, too?" Ana squints.

"Elliot never said a word back then. He probably knew that I would object to it. But still, I had my suspicions."

Ana sighs. "Steve apparently knew about them, according to Gretchen. In fact, I'm sure he knows _a lot_ of things about Elliot. I'm thinking about reaching out to him. I know that he couldn't show up to the party since he was out of town."

He narrows his eyes in skepticism. _Steve hasn't been seen out with Elliot in quite a while_ , he thinks. "If anything, Steve is loyal to a fault. He'd probably serve jail time for Elliot, if it ever came to that."

"I just want to ask him one question. Then I want him to look me in my eye before he gives me his answer," Ana utters with the utmost conviction.

Christian bites into his salad and chews quickly. "I know where Steve lives. We'll stop by his house tonight. I'll pick you up after work."

Ana gapes at him. _Tonight? I can't…Elliot will be waiting at the hotel._

 _What the hell am I talking about?!  
He cheated on me!_

Christian immediately sees the apprehension on her face. "Just tell him that a business meeting ran over. I'm certain he uses that one on you quite often."

Ana flinches but knows that his statement is accurate _._ "I don't have to explain anything to him anymore. He will see me when he sees me. And when he does, all hell will break loose."

…

Steve Gibbons is quite surprised when he opens his front door to find Christian Grey and Ana Steele standing on the other side.

"Hey."

"Steve," Christian responds. His towering frame and all business attitude have always intimidated Steve. This moment is no exception.

Steve turns to Ana and looks down at her hand. "Congratulations. I just heard the news." Although his sullen expression doesn't seem quite congratulatory.

"We missed you at the party," Christian smirks knowingly. Steve only responds with a pursed lip and a shoulder shrug.

Ana disregards Steve's earlier blessing over her engagement. "Do you have a moment to talk?"

He nods. "Sure. Come on in." Steve opens the door wide and Christian lets Ana in ahead of him. The host then leads his guests over to the living room sofa and encourages them to take a seat.

"Would you like something to drink? Are you hungry? I have chili."

"No," Christian says.

"No—thank you," Ana echoes.

Steve sits on the loveseat adjacent to the sofa and angles himself to face his guests. "So, how can I help you?"

Ana, who's seated closest to him, starts. "I need you to answer this question. And please answer it truthfully. Have you ever seen Elliot with Gretchen Stoica, his mother's former housekeeper?"

Steve nods. "They happened way before he met you."

 _Excuses, excuses_ , Christian sighs in frustration, but the second Ana places a hand on his lap to settle him down, he stills. The exchange doesn't go unnoticed by Steve, but he quickly pretends to make nothing of it. Still, Ana doesn't keep her hand on Christian's lap for very long.

"Why weren't you at Elliot's party?" Christian speaks up. "You two assholes are inseparable."

"He said you were out of town on business," adds Ana.

Steve laughs. "My job doesn't have me travel. I was here."

"Did he not invite you?" Christian grills.

"Elliot and I had a falling out. We haven't hung out in over a year."

Christian takes silent inventory of Steve's demeanor and immediately knows that he's definitely holding something back.

Meanwhile, Ana is at a total loss. "A year? There have been many occasions on a Friday or Saturday since then that Elliot mentioned he was hanging out with you and the guys. That's if he's not tied up on the job site."

Steve sighs and shakes his head. "Looks like Grey is still up to his old tricks." Christian curses under his breath. "Look, I hate to rat out a 'friend'," Steve remarks with air quotes, "but I've finally accepted the fact that Elliot Grey is only out for Elliot Grey. He'd never return the favor. In fact, in the over twenty years that I've known him, he's _never_ looked out for me. I honestly hope he rots in hell."

Christian is stunned to witness the sudden turn in Elliot's oldest and dearest friend. For many years, Christian blamed much of his older brother's negative behavior on the company he kept, especially Steve. This moment certainly signifies the changing tide.

"I can tell you for a fact that he was still messing around with Amber while he was with you," Steve frowns at Ana.

"The fuck…" Christian groans under his breath.

Ana frantically looks back and forth between Steve and Christian. " _Wh_ …who's Amber?"

"She moved here from Michigan. Their first date was at a coffee shop years ago," Steve answers.

After a few beats, Ana recalls the story that Elliot once told her about the girl he took out to a coffee shop. They'd witnessed a wild outburst from a homeless person trying to score free food. Elliot had told Ana that it was the last time he ever saw the girl.

Ana's blue eyes are wide. "He actually told me about that one. They supposedly never went out again after that."

"Bullshit," Christian grumbles.

Steve laughs. "Not true. Elliot and Amber have been off and on for quite a while."

"Grace met her back when they first started dating," Christian adds. "In fact, we've all met her." Ana's heart nearly stops.

"I can almost guarantee he's still seeing her, even though I haven't hung out with Elliot in a while," Steve piles on.

"He obviously lied about that, too. He told me that he never saw her again." As soon as Ana starts to cry, Christian immediately pulls her in and tries to console her. Again, their unusual closeness doesn't go unnoticed by Steve.

All of a sudden, a tall attractive woman with long dark hair emerges from the hallway and into the living room.

"Christian," the woman beams bright the second she notices he's seated on the sofa. "I didn't know you were here."

Christian doesn't say anything, but his eyes expand. He turns to look at Steve who looks slightly agitated. Ana then wipes her tears on the sleeve of her coat and looks up at the woman. The woman's disposition suddenly turns from sunny to cloudy once she gets one good look at Ana.

Steve quickly stands to his feet and hurries over to the woman. He wraps an arm around her waist and pulls her closer to quickly whisper something in her ear. Whatever he says suddenly puts the woman at ease. She smiles, nods, and then turns to head back in the direction that she came from. Steve returns to the love seat.

"Is everything okay?" Ana questions with a shaky voice.

"It's fine. So, yes, Elliot is completely full of shit. I'm pretty sure I can get one of the guys on the phone to confirm that he's still seeing Amber."

"Did you know about him getting Gretchen pregnant?" Ana spits out suddenly.

Steve scoffs. "Oh, yeah."

…

"Wow, Steve was certainly no holds barred. I didn't expect that," Christian says the moment he and Ana return to the backseat of his SUV. Taylor puts the auto in drive soon after.

"Who was that woman? Why did she frown at me?" Ana asks.

Christian briefly closes his eyes and lets out a jagged breath. "It appears that she still holds a torch for a certain someone," he frowns. "That was Steve's ex-wife, Laura."

" _Ex_?" Ana jerks back. "They looked _together_ to me."

"I'm assuming they're in the middle of some sort of strange reconciliation. It would explain why he and Elliot are no longer on speaking terms."

Ana's eyes grow even wider. "What happened?"

"Elliot used to have regular threesomes with Steve and Laura back in the day."

"Holy shit," Ana wheezes, barely able to breathe.

"In fact, Elliot and Steve have been running trains on women since high school. Teachers included."

Ana feels as if she's been getting punched in the stomach all day, with one devastating blow after the next. The man she thought she knew—the man she loved and said yes to—she's finding out the hard way that she never truly knew him at all.

"Unbeknownst to Steve at the time, Laura started to develop strong feelings for Elliot."

"What?!" Ana shrieks. "Oh my God!"  
 _What the fuck?!  
What have I gotten myself into?!  
Holy shit—Who is this man?! This…animal?!_

Christian nods as if the extreme situation no longer phases him. "Laura probably got her rude awakening after discovering how much of a man whore my brother is. My guess is that she finally came clean to Steve sometime after their divorce and let him know the real reason why she didn't want to be married to him anymore. It was because she fell for Elliot and started fucking him behind Steve's back. The good news is that it appears Steve-O finally decided to kick his twenty-year-long nasty Elliot habit."

"How do you know all this?!" Ana is on the verge of tears once again.

"Elliot and I were hanging out at my place one night. He got piss-drunk and told me everything. I was utterly disgusted with him, but I never told another soul. Until now."

When Ana falls apart yet again, Christian immediately regrets telling her.

…

Ana's rise in blood pressure was all for naught when she returns to an empty hotel room. Elliot left a handwritten note on the desk stating that he'd be back soon. Something had come up at the spur of the moment and he had to hurry into the office to handle it.

 _Of course. It figures,_ she frowns. _This was supposedly our week of celebration and reconciliation._ Ana scoffs at the very thought.

She literally had to beg Christian to leave so that she could confront her fiancé alone. Ana had already made up in her mind that she wouldn't be leaving room 812 still engaged to Elliot Grey. She'd heard more than enough.

She was done.

Now, she must wait. Again. Wait as Elliot does _God-knows-what_ with _God-knows-who_. The longer she thinks about, the sicker and madder she becomes.

As Ana stands over the bed that her and Elliot have shared over the past three nights, she wants nothing more than to burn it. She also contemplates dousing her own bed with gasoline and taking a match to it. Her body feels icky all over. The very image of his face in her brain makes her skin crawl. Even his ring on her finger causes her finger to itch.

The plan of sitting down and waiting no longer appealed to her. She decides to pick up the phone on the nightstand and dial valet.

…

Ana had never been over to the Grey Construction offices, but the familiarity immediately sets in. Behind the gates and illuminated by lamp posts, she sees a fleet of white pickup trucks with _Grey Construction_ wrapped along the sides. Her mind travels back in time to the day when Elliot Grey would call her to open an insurance claim. Someone had broken into his lot and vandalized his fleet.

It was a former drinking buddy, John Marsh, out for revenge, because Elliot had supposedly fucked his woman. Elliot would later refute that in court and with Ana. _But now, what was up is now down_ , Ana thinks to herself. _Elliot has a rich history of fucking the women of his friends._ _It's no wonder Christian has never introduced anyone that he was dating to Elliot._

Turning back towards the small building, Ana spots Elliot's red pickup. She arrives at the metal door and wonders if she should knock. Instinct tells her to try the door knob first. When she turns it slowly, it goes all the way over until the door cracks open. Ana is surprised.

The halls are dark, but not pitch black. She notices a light on the other side of the hallway. After quietly shutting the heavy door, Ana makes her way in that direction. The linoleum floors click and clack against her hard-soled flats, so she treads lightly. She passes two closed doors and an open room that houses what looks like a copier/printer. She keeps going past the buzz in another room. _Mainframe,_ she guesses.

There's a wide-open door where the light source is. _Elliot Grey, President & CEO_ is etched on a gold-plated sign affixed to the door. Ana doesn't see anyone behind the desk, but she moves forward anyway. When she gets closer, she begins hearing sounds—The rhythmic squeak of springs. She turns and sees the back of a sofa. Now she hears moaning. Ana then catches sight of a head-full of long blond hair sprayed over the arm of the sofa.

 _You've gotta be fucking kidding me!  
Really?!_

"Elliot?!" Ana shrieks.

Suddenly, Elliot's face pops up over the back of the sofa and his eyes gape wide as if he'd just seen a ghost. With catlike reflexes, he drags the girl completely out of sight, springs off the sofa, and rushes towards Ana. Miraculously, he is fully dressed. Before Ana can turn around and escape his reach, he runs outside, shuts his office door, and then grabs Ana by the wrist with his other hand.

"Let me go!" Ana screams out from the top of her lungs.

* * *

 ** _(THE PRESENT)_**

After _Cats_ , Christian certainly had Ana purring like one for hours in bed.

She now lies spent and naked, except for her brand-new pink gold and diamond Cartier choker around her neck and matching pink cuff bracelets. Her bracelets cover her entire wrists like Wonder Woman. Her new gems are a Friday tradition, and the cake topper of their glorious night together. Tonight, she's adorned with over a half million dollars in fine jewels, slowly working her way up to a million.

Ana lazily turns and looks at the man who has never taken his eyes off of her.

"I remember our talk after the first time we made love. You told me that you knew from the moment you first saw me that I was the key to filling the hole in your heart, even if we're only meant to be best friends."

Christian laughs at the memory. "I did say that." He leans in and kisses her temple.

Ana smirks. "If Elliot had behaved, and if I were still with him, you and I could've never been best friends."

Christian nods guiltily. "I totally agree. It would have to be all…or nothing. And I'm so glad that I have _all_."

Suddenly, he rolls his body back on top of hers, and she welcomes him by caressing the rigid muscles on his back. Their mouths meet, and the longer they kiss, the further their collective want expands. In no time, his erection returns to fighting form, and her sex is wet and eager to receive him again.

Normally, Christian kisses and tastes her all over again, but it's late and Ana is highly impatient. She decides to let him know that she's ready by reaching for his girth in between them and aiming it at her slick opening.

Feeling her moist willingness, he hums. "Again? So soon, Miss Steele?" he teases in her ear.

"Mm-hmm. _Now_ ," she breathes, fighting back a smile. Although it's dark, he can spot the sparkle of a grin.

Without any more hesitation, he thrusts forward.

" _Ahhh_ ," she cries.

" _Shit_ ," he gasps, basking in her sweet, tender glory. He starts moving at a languorous pace, stirring up her new arousal along with everything else they've already shared tonight. Just the very thought ignites so much emotion in his gut.

"Baby, this is _my_ place," he declares. "No one else can cum in here."

Those words immediately set Ana off, and she begins shaking.

"I'm going to come," she wheezes, barely able to speak.

She didn't even have to say it—he already felt it. Suddenly, he curls his body into hers like a tight ball. He tucks his face in between her shoulder and neck. He begins to drive into her in rapid, short bursts. As he does, he chants in her ear over and over again, "Mine. Mine. Mine. Mine."

Ana screams out her release, but he remains relentless. Thrusting as she quakes, he continues to call out, "Mine. Mine. Mine…" Her orgasm seemingly cycles forever, but it peaks and doesn't ebb. The wave remains neutral, but active. That tingling feeling in her stomach never goes away. The connection she feels with him is unlike anything she's ever experienced. It's not just on a physical level. They connect at the soul. It's the reason why the tears begin to fall down the sides of her face.

Christian doesn't know she's crying until he feels the droplets land on his cheek. If it weren't for her arms holding him tight, he would have stopped. He keeps going, not relenting on his pace.

"And this is yours, Ana. Yours and only yours," he declares.

She lets out a sob.

"This is how it will always be," he assures her. Ana whimpers, and he stops just short of asking her why she's crying.

But these are not sad tears, the ones she was so used to crying. No, these are tears of relief. Finally—someone is telling her that she has nothing to worry about and that she would _always_ be first in his life. In so many words, Christian just told her that there would never be another. And just like that, Ana rises and falls all over again.

"I love you," Ana trembles.

"And you have no idea how much I love you, Anastasia."

This time, Christian meets her, and they freefall together.

* * *

 ** _A/N: Well, faithful readers—A lot has happened in this chapter. I hope I didn't overwhelm you. ;) Trust me, Elliot is not done. I can guarantee you that he won't be done as long as this story remains incomplete. Sorry to have to break it to you. :(_**

 ** _My commercial break for the week: The cover reveal for my novel "A Nocturnal Rendezvous" happens this week on 4/25/19! I actually timed it to occur on the day I go see the new Avengers movie, haha! If you're in my Cherryville Facebook group, you'll get to preview the cover the day before. My book is all done—edited, formatted and everything (insert praise hands here). But because I'm brand new, I need to launch this thing right. However, I have a feeling that ARCs (advance reader copies aka FREE books) will go out much sooner than expected. So, if you are a book blogger, make sure keep an eye out for my signup form this week. Then about two weeks or so after that, I'll open it up for readers who intend on posting a review. Check out my TK Cherry Facebook page as well as my TKCherry dot com website for details._**

 ** _Alright…back to your regularly scheduled program._**

 ** _Coming Up Next: Christian takes Ana on another weekend getaway ahead of Maui, but when she returns to Seattle, she can't help but drive him wild at work. Hehe!_**

 ** _Then we flash back to the dumpster fire that is Elliot. He'll be begging his ass off and trying his hardest to make Ana question everything that she thinks she knows. He even enlists others to try and prove his point. Will it work, or will everything finally blow up in his face?_**

 ** _Oh, and Mama Grey is back on the scene. Yasss Queen! Lmfao!_**

 ** _Just two more chapters before all of the flashbacks go away. At the very end of chapter 11, Elliot will find out about Christian and Ana. Get ready for a showdown!_**

 ** _Thanks for reading, everyone! – ST2 aka TK Cherry_**


	10. Chapter 10

**Chapter 10** **–** **Butt Yes**

 ** _(THE PRESENT)_**

There is never a dull moment whenever Ana is with Christian. Even quiet weeknights at home are riveting. Weekends, however, bring on an elevated level of excitement. They are such an event that Tammy makes it a point to stop by Ana's office every Monday in order to hear all of the details about it.

For the past two months, every Friday night brings with it a brand-new adventure. Two weeks ago, Christian surprised Ana by taking her to see _Cats_. The Friday after that, the two spent the weekend at the house in Bend, where they would enjoy an outdoor concert at the local amphitheater. Then yesterday, Christian whisked Ana off to Sea-Tac airport where they boarded the GEH jet and headed to Napa Valley for the weekend.

Christian literally wined and dined Ana for two straight nights. They went on a private tour of the winery and enjoyed two intimate candlelight dinners with the backdrop of the setting sun in the lush St. Florence vineyard. It's an ambiance and smell that Ana won't soon forget. Right now, she doesn't have to rely on her memory just yet. All she has to do is walk up to any window at their borrowed quarters and peer outside.

Ana knew that where they'd be staying for the weekend wouldn't disappoint. However, she didn't expect the place would overwhelm all of her senses. Christian had put the two of them in a massive four-acre estate in the middle of the most vibrantly green land that she has ever seen. The moment she stepped indoors yesterday, she wondered out loud if this was a luxury hotel. _"Nope,"_ he assured her. _"One of my business associates owns the property and has been bugging me for years to use it whenever I decide to come to Napa."_

 _This is way too much for just two people,_ Ana constantly tells herself in a never-ending loop. Especially since the two of them are always on top of each other in some way, shape, or form. Christian also hired a personal chef for the weekend. He wanted Ana to take a break from cooking on weekends—for once.

Sometime after dinner, Christian informed Ana that there were a few business-related emails he had to tend to. She took the rare opportunity to shower alone and prepare for bed. This would be their last night in Napa before heading back to Seattle. After her shower, she wraps herself in a towel and debates over which of the two sets of lingerie Christian would like best. _He likes me in everything_ , she smiles to herself— _and out of it, too_.

After settling on one, she slips into it and carefully positions herself in bed before resuming her reading. She's only a few pages in when Christian enters the master bedroom.

"You've already showered?"

Ana gives a single, unassuming nod.

"I'm going to shower quickly. Don't fall asleep. I want you ready," he purrs.

She chuckles. "Aren't I always?" she flirts back.

Christian's eyes narrow after noticing how the covers are pulled up to her neck as she reads with her head propped up on two pillows. "What are you hiding under there?"

"I guess you'll have to hurry up and find out," she responds in a naughty but sweet tone.

"Fair enough," he croons back, and he immediately enters the master bath and shuts the door. Soon after, the sound of cascading water fills the room.

Ana reads for just five minutes longer before placing her book on the nightstand. When she peels the covers back, she reveals a very sexy sheer plum mesh baby doll nightie with matching thong and…a small gift box. For the first time, she is giving Christian a wrapped present in bed.

Inside the box are three different sizes of stainless-steel anal plugs with purple jeweled handles that match her nightie. She's never ventured into anal sex—much to her ex's chagrin—but it's something that she's been wanting to try with Christian for a while. And although he's never brought it up, Ana is well aware of his vast sexual expertise as a former dom. Even if she wasn't a virgin when they first joined together, she feels like one nearly every single time Christian touches her. It's enough to make that old Madonna classic ring in her mind.

As soon as the sound of running water ceases, Ana gets a sly thought. Taking her phone from the nightstand, she then awakens it. After activating a particular app, she places the device right back where it was. She flashes a playfully mischievous smile that quickly washes away the moment Christian surfaces from the bathroom.

…

 _"_ _Ah! Aaahhh!"_

 _"_ _How does that feel, baby?"_

 _*gasps* "Okay."_

 _"_ _Does it hurt?"_

 _"_ _Ju… just a little."_

 _"_ _You want me to stop and take that out?"_

 _"_ _N—no. Keep going."_

 _"_ _Are you sure?"_

 _"_ _Yes. I'm sure."_

 _*groans*_

 _"_ _Ahhhhh!"_

 _"_ _Fuck…"_

 _"_ _Ah! Ah! Ah! Ah!"_

 _"_ _That's right, baby. You like me fucking you while that plug's up your ass—huh?"_

 _"_ _Yessss! Oh… Ohhh…"_

 _"_ _I think this gift was more for you than it was for me. But little do you know I'm getting so much joy out of seeing you so hot for this…"_

 _"_ _Ah! Ah! Ah! Ah…"_

 _"_ _Yeah—I'm going to fuck you_ there _, too—soon. Would you like that?"_

 _"_ _Oh God! Ahh! Ahhh! Ahhh!"_

 _"_ _Shit… You'd better come now, Anastasia. I need you to come for me."_

 _"_ _Ohhhh!"_

 _*pants* "You feel sooo damn good…" *grunts* "Don't you make me come without you…or I swear…"_

 _*screams*_

 _*pop*_

 _*screams louder*_

 _*grunts* "That's it, baby." *gasps* "That's it." *groans* "Fuck!"_

…

Ana's crossed thighs clench together even tighter underneath her desk. The mere memory of Saturday night coupled with the erotic sounds humming in her ears catapults her back into the very moment. She wisps away a stray hair from her clammy forehead, then pulls her earbuds from her ears and takes several deep breaths before pressing send on her phone. It takes two minutes to compose herself just enough to head out to her first meeting of the week.

…

Tammy anxiously awaited with bated breath for Ana to finally return to her office after back to back meetings all morning. Ana is barely in her chair when her friend swoops in.

"Alright, spill. Where did _Hottie Divine_ take you this weekend?"

"Napa Valley," Ana says matter-of-factly as she awakens her computer.

"Holy crap," Tammy gasps in total awe.

"I know," sighs Ana. Even she can't believe the fabulous new life that she's been living. "And this is ahead of my birthday trip next week to Maui."

Tammy's eyes grow as round as saucers. "He's taking you to _Maui_?!"

Ana looks up and shrugs. "It was supposed to be a surprise. Then his mom insisted on throwing me a birthday party. He felt forced to tell her that he'd already made plans for me so she wouldn't go out of her way and do that."

"Are you kidding me?" gapes Tammy. "She wanted to throw you a _party_? At her place?"

Ana nods.

"Has she not been paying attention? Does she think that her _other son_ wouldn't find out about it?"

"I wondered the same thing," smirks Ana. "But then she assured me that _the ex_ wouldn't be there."

"Still—that's so weird," Tammy frowns.

"Very. Which is why _He_ had to go ahead and ruin my birthday surprise. Oh, by the way—the place where we're staying in Maui? He just casually bought it. For us." Ana purses her lips.

Tammy literally swoons, teetering to the point of nearly stumbling. She finally takes a seat on the other side of Ana's desk. "I know you said he was adopted, but does he have a twin brother somewhere? I mean, damn girl!"

Ana smirks. "Even if he did have one, you're _married_."

"That guy is so unreal that Marty would probably be my biggest cheerleader. Hell, Marty might even try to marry _Him_ first." They both laugh.

Whenever the women chat about Christian, even behind closed doors, they are always mindful not to mention him by name. Since they never know who's listening, they simply stick to pronouns. For all intents and purposes, Christian's name at work is either _'Him'_ or _'He'_.

Meanwhile, Ana's own employees have been racking their brains to find out who the new man in Ana's life is after her very public breakup. It was an event that left the curious public with more questions than answers. One moment, her engagement was announced in all the local news sources. But just a week later, the Seattle Nooz gossip site would be the first to dish about the breakup. Ana cringed the moment Tammy showed her the blurb.

 ** _Rumor has it that entrepreneurial hottie, Elliot Grey, older brother of billionaire mogul mega-hottie, Christian Grey, is suddenly single. Just one week after their engagement was announced, he and his girlfriend of two years have suddenly called it quits. According to a source very close to the Grey family, the couple "amicably" parted ways, but "remain tight friends"._**

 ** _But the Nooz wants the REAL tea. What actually put the kibosh on one of Seattle's most anticipated weddings? Did the rumored playboy literally get caught with his pants down? Nooz-y minds want to know!_**

It was then when Ana realized that all eyes were now on her. She kept that in mind when she initially accepted Christian's offer to take her out to dinner. Ana was so bitter that she desperately wanted her ex to wake up and see the Nooz sub-header: **_'Elliot Grey's former flame was seen in public having an intimate moment with brother, Christian Grey'_**. She wanted him to feel the betrayal that she felt.

Ana was unaware that Christian has a very large secret network in place. His team works overtime to keep his image out of anything and everything that could detract from his business and humanitarian efforts. Also, many publications are slow to publish anything with the name _Christian Grey_ on it without first clearing it with his people. You see, if you piss off the man with all the cash, he will take his business elsewhere. Also, many advertising companies are affiliated with Grey Enterprises Holdings, Inc. These same companies wouldn't hesitate to pull their ad dollars from any outlet that Christian publicly shuns.

"Tell me about the wine." Tammy is all smiles as she leans forward in her chair and rests her elbows on the edge of Ana's desk.

"Imagine drinking all of the wine you want, and not waking up the next morning with a headache," Ana smiles.

Tammy's gaze widens. "Say _what_?"

"This one family's vineyard that we visited doesn't incorporate all of those sulfites into their wine. So, you don't get all of the headaches and you preserve all of the quality." Ana leans down and takes out a fancy black canvas wine bag from her bottom desk drawer and presents it to her friend. "That's a dessert Port, and it's absolutely delicious with dark chocolate."

Tammy gasps but then stops herself as she watches her friend go down again and bring back up a small cream box tied with red ribbon.

"The best dark chocolate in North America, by the way," Ana hums. "I told _Him_ to keep the stuff away from me."

Tammy squeals with glee before hopping up and meeting Ana on the other side of her desk for a hug. "You are so good to me."

"And you have been _very_ good to me," Ana beams at her good friend. "You're the one that's been keeping me sane through all of this. Thank you for being such an awesome friend." They hug once more.

"I'm honored to be here for you. I appreciate you for snatching up my one hall pass and bringing me just one-degree closer to Him. Now I can rest assured knowing that my girl is having crazy wild sex with one of the hottest men who's ever walked the earth."

With a smirk on her lips, Ana rolls her eyes, which prompts Tammy to laugh. Suddenly, a loud rap on the door stuns them.

"Yes?" Ana calls out.

When the door opens, Christian is standing there with one mischievous brow raised. Tammy is petrified, but Ana knows exactly why he's here.

 _He obviously got my message.  
But this time he didn't send Taylor. _

The subtle scent of base notes that are still uniquely _Him_ —sandalwood, cedarwood, and white musk—is now present in the room. It's an aphrodisiac for both women, but only one of them is able to act out on it.

"Sorry," Ana whispers to Tammy, awkwardly brandishing her bottom row of teeth. _If only she knew what mischief I've done to cause him to show up unannounced at my job._

"Hello, Tamera," Christian greets in a voice that's firm, yet warm.

"Hi…I—I'll go." Tammy turns sheepishly to Ana and gives her a half-nod before grabbing her chocolate and wine and rushing out of the room. It's more of a preventative measure for the hilariously outspoken friend who's known to say and do thoughtless things if she doesn't quickly check herself.

The moment Tammy is on the other side, Christian shuts the door and locks it. The sound of the latch in Ana's ears is almost deafening. As Christian stalks slowly and seductively towards her, he wears an expression of smoldering rebuke.

"I didn't appreciate receiving yet another recording of us having sex while I'm trapped at work on a Monday morning with a docket full of meetings. What's your excuse this time? No way in hell did I interrupt you in the middle of working at home when you taped that. _That_ was on purpose, Miss Steele. That happened in Napa, where you were armed with a purple nightie, matching butt plugs, and a recorder."

A look of mischief takes over Ana's face.

"So…you have nothing to say for yourself?" he challenges. Ana simply shrugs. "Once I heard it, I could no longer concentrate at work. I couldn't think of anything else accept all of the things we did in that bed in Napa. And it's all your fault."

"Oh? Really?" Ana hums, dishing it right back.

He stops just four feet away from her. "Yes. And now I'm here to resolve the issue that's in my pants."

Blindsided by words that are highly uncharacteristic for Christian Grey, Ana sputters out in laughter. "And how do you plan on doing that?"

Without flinching, he replies, "I'm going to take you fast and hard right over that desk."

In an instant, Ana ceases laughing. Her breath hitches in her throat.

"I know that your office walls are paper thin," Christian says, licking his lips. "So, it's going to be fun watching you try your damnedest not to scream while I'm fucking the living shit out of you."

Ana's eyebrows meet her hairline. Any other respectable manager would immediately pull in the reins and wouldn't allow such lascivious activity to occur in her place of business. The _old Ana_ would've told such a forward man to leave her office right at once.

She's not that Ana anymore.

Instead, she closes the four-foot gap between them. Her heated gaze tells the towering copper-haired powerhouse in a suit that she fully accepts the challenge. Without further ado, Christian swiftly swings Ana around, slams her face down on her desk, and hikes up her black skirt. His fingers push aside her lacy panties and begin teasing her slick folds. She groans.

He leans down and breathes into her neck. "You're like a faucet, Ana. The very second I touch your sweet cunt, it practically gushes in my hands."

She releases a long moan in response, and his dexterous fingers work the territory that they are oh-so-familiar with. Her ass sways back with his hand in time to the rhythm that he has set.

"You like that, my sweet, naughty girl?" he taunts with tender kisses all over the back of her neck. "I've been daydreaming about you coming all over my dick again…and again…and again…" She moans. "I couldn't _wait_ until tonight. Lord knows I've tried."

 _Oh my God!_ Ana can't remember ever being so hot for him, but this isn't a foreign feeling by any stretch of the imagination. No matter what, Christian always manages to keep the electricity in her stomach surging.

"Yet, here you go again, teasing me while I'm at work. You just couldn't wait until we got home tonight, could you?" he growls. Ana gasps just as two fingers quickly dip inside of her. Now, she's on the verge of exploding.

"I love how you go from zero to sixty the moment I do that. I think you're ready. What do you say?" Christian croons. Ana can't even form the words with her mouth. "You want me to fuck you here like I did that one time over _my_ desk? Do you want me to bust two fat ones deep inside of that sweet juicy cunt so you can walk around work for the remainder of the day dripping of my seed?"

When Ana moans out loud, Christian hums in satisfaction directly in her ear. "Hush, now. That's exactly what you want, isn't it, baby? That's why you did this in the first place. You know I'll put everything aside to bring you exactly what you need. Now let me hear it. Tell me."

Ana is panting to the point of pushing off from the desk. She's crumpling papers underneath her, but it's the least of her worries at the moment.

"I want… I want you inside of me," she squeezes out with labored breath, trembling. "I want it hard. I want to come all over you. I want you to come inside of me."

In this moment, Don Richard, the president of Mylegent could come knocking on her door, and Ana wouldn't care. Right now, nothing else exists other than her and Christian and their burning desire for one another.

And as if she said the magic words, Christian raises off of her. Soon, she hears the jingle of his belt.

"I'm going to squirt cum deep inside of that moist pussy of yours, Ana. You're going to feel me in every way…all day…until you come home to me tonight for more."

 _Sweet Lord._ Ana gasps before moaning her response. Christian stretches the crotch of her lacy panties all the way to one side before sheathing his steel erection straight through her. On impact, Ana bites her lips shut, while he groans deep and low.

"Fuck—I'm not going to last for very long," he puffs. "All I can think about is your sexy voice on that recording begging me to make your pussy sing."

 _Hell, I did say that, didn't I?_ —Ana thinks to herself. _Yeah, he's certainly right about me being wild, but he absolutely drove me to be that way._

In spite of his earlier admission about being at the brink, he pursues her at a rough and rapid pace, anyway. Ana's muffled cries coupled with the sexy sound of her squeaking desk as he thrusts riles him up even more. She climaxes, fighting hard to keep quiet, yet he continues his torturous pace.

…

Eleven hours after Christian's surprise visit to her office, the two find themselves in bed and in the throes of passion once more. Looking down, his eyes home in on where he ends, and where she begins. This time around, Ana doesn't hold back. Her mewls egg him on. Soon, she tightens up all around him as she throws her head back in total ecstasy. He simply rides the wave of her orgasm, looking forward to the moment when they both crash together.

"I'll never get enough of you, baby… you know that, right?" he declares through gritted teeth, not ceasing his rapid-fire pace.

"Really?" she gasps.

He narrows his eyes at her. "Without a doubt."

"Just _me_?"

And though the quiver in her voice is enough to stop Christian cold in his tracks, he continues to move. He knew exactly what he'd be dealing with from the moment he managed to finally win her over. He understood that it would require much patience to deal with a heart as fragile as hers.

" _Only_ you—then, now, and always. I love you so fucking much, Ana. You really have no idea yet, do you?"

His words breach through another layer of her heart. "I love you, too!" she cries out.

Her heartfelt declaration does something to him. Suddenly, he pulls out of her, taking Ana by surprise. He jerks his erection and releases directly on her bare pelvis. When he's done, he glides himself through the puddle that he just created before pushing back inside of her. He continues delivering powerful thrusts, one after the other as if he never even climaxed at all. The very action drives Ana completely insane, causing her to lose control all over again.

 _Holy hell…what planet did this man get his stamina from?! I've never seen anything on earth like it!_ It's then when Ana realizes that she probably won't be able to reach the end of 2015 without getting knocked up by this man someway, somehow.

 _My IUD is probably already as good as gone._

"Hear me, Ana Steele. I love you. I love you. I love you. I love you…" He chants those three words over and over again to the rhythm of his thrusts.

Christian desperately wants the plea to burn not only in her head but into her soul. Soon, she's throwing her head back once more, screaming out her release. It would take one more try before they could time their explosive moments together just right.

* * *

 ** _(THE PAST – Six Months Ago)_**

After Ana kicked and screamed and threw Elliot's engagement ring in his face, she barreled out of the Grey Construction offices and sped home in her car to her apartment. She didn't bother returning to the hotel to retrieve her things. She just needed to get far away from the man who betrayed her like no one else.

He said things… so many things. He pleaded his case as best he could, but Ana couldn't hear a single word coming out of his mouth. All she saw was his lips moving through the red haze in her eyes.

 _All of the signs were there._

 _How could I have been so blind?_

For the past thirty minutes, Ana did nothing but beat herself up.

 _Why was I so naïve? Did I just refuse to look the truth straight in the face?_

The tears haven't stopped falling down from her eyes, nor is there an end in sight. She even locked herself in her bedroom, ignoring the pleas of her roommate and best friend to come out and talk about her troubles.

 _There's nothing to talk about.  
I feel stupid and ashamed._

And while she was busy wallowing in her own self-pity, she'd forgotten that Elliot had a key to her apartment.

"Ana! Please!"

"Go away!" Ana screams out from her bed.

"I'm not leaving until you talk to me. Look, it wasn't what you th…"

"Save it! I don't wanna hear it!" she cries.

"Look, I told you. She's my new assistant, and she's going through some terrible things at home right now. She was simply confiding in me."

And for the first time in about an hour, she finally hears the words that are coming out of his mouth. Unfortunately for Elliot, they evoke nothing but rage. Ana immediately springs out of bed and onto her bare feet. She's still in the clothes that she wore at work earlier. Her chestnut hair is in shambles. Her heart, worse.

"Elliot Grey, I may have been naïve about you previously, but it thoroughly disturbs me that you think I'm that blind _and_ dumb. I know what I saw!"

Suddenly, Elliot jiggles the doorknob several times before the door swings open. There's a look of absolute desperation etched on his face. It's an expression that she has never, ever seen him wear before. However, it doesn't move her.

"Ana, _nothing_ happened," he steps inside of her small bedroom, causing her to take several steps back.

"Stop!" she cries. Just behind him on the other side of the door, she sees a vigilant Kate who's ready to pounce at any moment if he steps just one more foot towards Ana.

"I'm telling the truth!" Elliot yells. Ana looks down at his hands and sees that he's clutching the ring that she'd tossed at him earlier in his office. He holds it out at her, desperately wanting her to take it back.

"Let me smell your hands!"

The words that fly out of Ana's mouth surprise even her, but she doesn't let the feeling show. And in just five words, Kate now knows absolutely everything, so her eyes spring wide open in shock.

"What?!" Elliot scoffs as if he's appalled. And for some reason, his hands automatically fall to his sides.

Ana sighs, shaking her head in disbelief. "Wow. You actually forgot to wash your hands, didn't you? You came straight here looking for me instead of covering your tracks. You're getting way too messy these days, Elliot. You used to be more meticulous with your sneaking around."

"Oh my God! What in the hell are you talking about?!" he whines loudly in frustration.

Ana takes a deep breath and turns away from Elliot before spinning back around and facing him again head on. She takes one giant step forward. "I'm not playing this game anymore. I'm done."

"Ana… What game? I'm not playing any…"

She looks behind him again, and Kate is still standing there. _Well, if he wants me to take it there—with witnesses and all—I will._

"You knocked up Gretchen…your mother's former housekeeper who suddenly quit when you started bringing me around. You know, the one who you made get an abortion?"

Although his stomach feels like it has fallen to his feet, he still holds his head up high. "It was a mistake Ana. It happened way before…"

"You fucked around with Steve's wife, causing them to divorce. And you still saw your ex, Amber—even while you were dating me," Ana pushes out through clenched jaws.

"Holy shit!" Kate gasps in disbelief in the background.

Elliot sighs, shakes his head, and then chuckles. "Are you fucking kidding me? Did Gibbons tell you that bullshit? He's a lying sack of shit. He's just trying to break us up because he's jealous. He has no one and he wants me to be miserable, just like him. Don't let him win, Ana."

Ana now finds herself at a total loss. _Reasoning with Elliot Grey is like talking to an unplugged television set._ "Please leave, Elliot. And give me my key back," she says, holding out her hand.

"Ana—listen to me… Steve is a liar!" he shouts. "Are you going to stand there and actually believe all of his bullshit?! You don't believe _me_?! I'm telling you the truth!"

"No, you're not," Ana responds as calmly as possible. On the spot, she decides not to fight fire with fire. "You cheated on me on the anniversary of our first date. It was _Valentine's Day_. I saw the receipt, Elliot."

"That was _not_ a date! I told you that it was a business dinner with folks from the mayor's office…"

Ana marches angrily over to her nightstand and retrieves her phone. She wakes it up, ignoring all of the texts and the missed calls from the man now standing in her bedroom. She goes directly to her saved photos and accesses the first one that she sees. Stepping up to Elliot, she flips over her phone and shoves it directly in his face.

"Does _she_ work at the mayor's office, Elliot?"

On the screen is a photo of Elliot getting cozy with a very attractive blonde sitting across from him. She's staring lovingly into his eyes. The Elliot that's live and in person sports a smug grin, the very same one that he wears when he feels that he can do no wrong.

 _How in the fuck did she get that photo?  
Better find a way out of this, Grey. And fast._

"That's Mary, the lady I had on the phone with me. Where'd you get that from? And where's Roger Polk? He was with us, too…"

"That's a table for _two_ , Elliot! And you expect me to believe that whore's name is _Mary_?!"

"Ana…" He takes a step forward, but Ana snatches her phone away from him and steps back. Her absolute repulsion for him feels like a dagger going straight through his chest. He's never felt so ill.

"That was the same blonde girl you had on your couch, wasn't it?" Ana says soberly. "There was a redhead at one time, too. And another blonde. Don't lie, Elliot. _Please_ … Don't lie to me anymore."

"I'm _not_ lying, Ana."

"I'm going to ask you one last time, Elliot. Please _leave_. And drop my key on your way out." She says the words slowly and methodically.

And with no more fight remaining in him, Elliot turns and leaves the key on the kitchen counter on his way out, just as Ana requested.

…

 ** _(The Next Day)_**

 _*Beep*_

"I only left because you told me to, and not because I did anything wrong. I didn't do shit, Ana. I _love_ you. I didn't cheat on you. _Please_. Talk to me, babe. Call me back."

 _*Beep*_

"Come on now. Don't do this. Don't believe Steve. He's a liar. His wife left him because he's a fucking liar. Don't let his lies get in between our love. Mom is so excited about the wedding. Don't disappoint Grace. Please, Ana. Call me."

 _*Beep*_

"I know you're listening. I saw that you read my texts. Fucking stop this. I left your apartment last night to let you sleep on it. I gave you all morning. I know you went out to lunch today with your friends. You can't keep avoiding me. At some point, we are going to have to talk this out. You might as well just close your office door and call me now. Let's work this out, _okay_? Love you."

 _*Beep*_

"Look… _I cheated_! Is that what you want me to say?! Do you want to hear me say that I cheated on you because you pushed me away?! Because you never trusted me or believed a fucking word I ever said?! ' _Oh Ana, hey… I was always there for you, yet you still doubted me! Instead, you ended up pushing me into the arms of another woman! Be careful what you wish for!_ ' There—does that make you feel any better?! Look…I don't have time for this bullshit! I'm done!"

…

 _He is an absolute psychopath._

Ana's mind hasn't been on anything but her fallout with Elliot. Last night, she was only able to get in a solid hour of sleep. Then all morning and most of early afternoon, she's been declining meetings and sulking behind her office door. Each time she tortures herself with another text or a voicemail from her estranged fiancé, she slips deeper into the depths of despair.

The fact that Ana hasn't been able to get ahold of her mother, Carla, or Kate hasn't helped her sinking mood. So, after warring with herself for hours, she finally gives in and calls the one person that she was afraid to.

"Ana. Hi."

"Hi, Grace," Ana responds in barely a whisper.

"My gosh—what's wrong?"

"I need your help. Today, if possible."

…

Ana sits up from the exam table, dressed in nothing but a thin cotton robe that ties up in the back.

"I'll prep these cultures for testing. My phlebotomist will draw your blood after you get dressed."

Without looking Ana in the eye, Grace saunters to the other end of the room with clipboard in hand. Ana can tell that the mother is both flustered and distraught. It's enough to make the young woman break out in tears.

"I'm sorry."

Immediately, Grace turns on her heel and drops the clipboard at the nearby counter. She rushes towards Ana.

"No, no, no. Don't you _dare_ apologize." Once she's at Ana's side, Grace pulls her into a tight hug. "This is not your fault, sweetheart. You did nothing wrong. You absolutely did the right thing by calling off the wedding."

All of a sudden, a burden releases from Ana's chest, causing her to finally exhale. As tears are streaming down, she begins to weep out loud.

"There, there, sweetie. It's okay," Dr. Trevelyan Grey coos. "Let it all out. It's fine. I'm going to hurt my son for what he did to you. And if any of these tests come back positive for STIs, I am going to maim him with my bare hands."

...

 **You can ignore me all you want, Ana. You're not fooling me.  
When you get sick and tired of being alone, you'll come back.  
I'll be patient.**

 **When you come back, you're going to need to learn how to trust me  
and stop believing the bullshit that other people tell you.**

 **Your self-confidence is severely lacking.  
No other guy is going to put up with such low self-esteem.**

 **Nobody is going to love you like I do.  
You'll see.**

…

 ** _(Three Days Later)_**

The first Sunday post-Elliot has arrived. The fact that Ana can no longer have dinner with Grace, Carrick, or even Christian suddenly hit her like a ton of bricks.

All week long, Elliot has continued texting her, saying some rather hurtful things. But all in all, Ana has been ignoring him as best as she can.

Today, his idle words don't matter. Nothing hurts more than the fact that she can no longer spend time with the rest of the Greys. The breakup with Elliot is like a death of sorts, causing Ana to remain in bed and sulk all weekend.

...

 ** _(The Next Day)_**

The moment Ana steps foot inside of her office, a vase with two dozen multicolored roses await on her desk. Right away, Tammy waltzes in behind her.

"The flowers are back, I see," Tammy smirks.

Immediately, Ana picks up the weighty glass and dumps the entire contents into the trash.

"Hey! Hey!" Tammy objects. "Why did you throw those away? They were gorgeous!"

With sad eyes, Ana gazes at her friend. "They may be pretty, but they came from a very ugly place. I wouldn't give them to a dog."

"Holy shit." Tammy is genuinely stunned.

…

 ** _(Two Days Later)_**

"Elliot…you can't keep calling my job," Ana sighs as she adjusts the earpiece in her ear.

"It's the only way to get you to talk to me."

Ana sighs. She's completely at a loss on the ways to keep avoiding him. At her wits' end, she decides to let him air out whatever it is he wants to say to her.

"What is it you have to say?"

"I love you, Ana. I mean… _truly_. I do. I'm sick, and I'm in need of help."

Ana pulls in a deeper breath this time before responding. "What is it you need help with?"

"I'm a sex addict."

" _Okay_?" Ana says with a shoulder shrug.

"It's serious."

"Obviously," she scoffs with an eye roll.

"Don't kick me when I'm down. I need you by my side as I work through this."

"So, I'm supposed to just hunker down and let you trample all over me while you work this _thing_ out?"

The words pour out of Ana's mouth devoid of any emotion. She's already resolved in her mind that she wouldn't take Elliot Grey back in a million years. Still, she thought that she could turn the situation right back on him and see if he'd still try to make logic out of the situation.

 _It's impossible.  
He's just going to talk right out of his ass._

"I need you. I can't do this without you," Elliot says in a sincere plea.

"Never mind the fact that you put me at risk," Ana growls. "You exposed me to a litany of potential diseases with your reckless behavior."

"I'm clean."

"Let's hope so," she snaps back.

"I am."

"Well, I'm done playing games, Elliot."

"So am I," he says confidently.

"For two years, I was dumb… Stupid. I ignored all of the signs."

"Ana…"

"I'm _never_ taking you back."

" _Wha_ …? Why not?"

"You should just go back to fucking whoever you want since that made you most happy, anyway."

"Ana—don't say that."

A chill runs up her spine. For the first time in… _ever_ , Elliot's emotions finally translate over the phone and seep into her mind. _Don't you dare cave, Steele._

"I need you, Ana. _Please_. I'm sick," he heaps on.

But in spite of Elliot's heartfelt plea, Ana's resolve perseveres.

"I'm not interested."

It's Ana's last words before hanging up.

…

 ** _(The Next Day)_**

"Hey, Dad."

"Annie."

It's not very common for Ray to reach out to Ana during the week, especially at work. Needless to say, she was taken by surprise the moment she saw her stepfather's name appear on her phone.

"What's up?"

"I spoke to Elliot this morning. He's in bad shape."

Ana groans and throws her head into her hands, which are propped up by her elbows on the desk.

"Elliot cheated on me. Multiple times."

"You said as much."

"So, why are you so concerned that he's in _bad shape_?"

"He explained that you refused to hear him out. He seems a little…broken-hearted." Although Ray maintains his signature taciturn demeanor, a sliver of humanity can't help but shine through.

Still, Ana recalls her resolve and gets firm. Even though her stepfather isn't in the same room as her, she holds her head up high. "No, Daddy. He cheated on _me_."

"See—what he explained to me was that his assistant had a death in the family. He was apparently comforting her in his office. You just so happened to walk in at a very awkward time, he said."

Ana can't believe what she's hearing.

 _Does Ray actually believe Elliot's bullshit?_

"Dad—I saw him cheating with my own two eyes. Then, he denied it dead to my face. He told me that I didn't see what I saw. He had his hands in his secretary's panties when I walked in. She was _moaning_! I'd say he was doing more than just _comforting_ her!"

The thought of being so frank with her strait-laced father makes her want to cringe, but Ana was backed against a corner. She believes this is the only way she can put Ray's doubts to rest.

"Wow. Really?"

"Yes… _Really_. I can't believe he would fucking call you and say otherwise."

Another first. Ana doesn't normally use such strong language around her father. However, she's had it up to here with Elliot Grey's desperate shenanigans.

" _I_ … Yeah. I don't know why he didn't mention that."

"He's trying to make me look like the bad guy…when he's _clearly_ the one who cheated."

...

 ** _(Five Days Later)_**

"Girl…" Kate starts the moment Ana walks into the apartment from work.

Ana sighs and looks at her after placing her purse and backpack on the small dinette table.

"Guess who randomly showed up at my job to see to me?"

Visibly spent, Ana briefly shuts her eyes and silently prays for the best. _It can't be him. She would've called me immediately._ Still, she braces for the worse.

"Elliot Grey. He was in the lobby, begging me to convince you to take him back."

To Kate's surprise, Ana laughs. "Hell no."

"He said he's going to be starting therapy soon."

"Well… Good for him," Ana responds with pursed lips.

"He talked about all the wrong he's done, and how much he wants to turn things around and do right by you. He still wants to marry you."

" _Goodness gracious_ ," Ana groans. She turns away as Kate approaches and places a gentle hand on her shoulder.

"I've never seen a man look so pitiful. I'm afraid he's going to hurt himself."

Ana spins around and glares furiously. "God, Kate—don't try and guilt me into…"

"He didn't say he was going to do that," Kate calmly backs up. "But just looking at him, I got really concerned. He looks _awful_ , Ana. You can tell that he's getting no sleep at all since you dumped him. He hasn't been eating. It's written all over his face."

Ana releases a long sigh. "Look, he's just upset because he finally got caught."

"I think you're being a little too harsh."

"What?!" Ana pipes up, flinging Kate's hand off of her. Ana is livid.

"Calm down, girl," Kate attempts to placate. It's a useless attempt, but she remains on track to try and turn Ana's ire around. "I get it…you never want to see him again. He did mention that his mother was distraught since you stopped coming by for Sunday dinner."

" _No_ ," Ana growls, "she's _distraught_ because her son is a lying, cheating bastard who ruined our relationship. And by the way, I still speak to Grace. She and I are absolutely fine."

The revelation takes Kate by surprise. "If you don't take Elliot back, you're going to have to eventually cut ties with his mom. If not, it would be extremely awkward for everyone involved. I'm sure it already is."

The two young women make their way over to the living room sofa.

"If nothing else, Grace has been a rock for me. She's kind of been my only constant through all of this."

Kate frowns. "Gee, thanks."

"I didn't mean it that way," Ana groans.

"Well… That's kinda how I took it."

Kate's indignant attitude throws Ana for a loop, riling her right back up. "I will say that although Elliot is Grace's son, Grace isn't in my face right now telling me to hear him out."

The mood turns totally sour for the two longtime friends.

"I can take a hint," Kate snaps. "I'll let it go. I just hope that he doesn't come back up to my job, begging me to talk to you again. I've already done my part."

"Look, I'm sorry he's bothering you. I'll text him and tell him to stop showing up to your work. Don't be afraid to tell him to get lost next time. Tell security to kick him out if you have to. He's trying everything in the book right now, but I don't care. I'm never giving in."

Suddenly, a wave of understanding crashes in, and Kate settles a bit. She soon lets out a bittersweet smile and takes her best friend by the hand. "Continue to stand firm if your heart tells you to. I support you one hundred percent."

A thought enters Ana's mind that immediately causes her to exhale in exhaustion. "I know that any day now, he'll show up at _my_ job."

...

 ** _(Two Days Later)_**

Last night's Thirsty Thursday was a much-needed gathering. For the first time in two weeks, Ana felt understood and totally supported by all of her friends as a collective. One by one, Kate, Tammy, José, Maria, Isa, Doren, and Noah each gave Ana their word that they are behind her. After declaring that there is nothing that Elliot Grey could say or do to make any of them waver, the gang did what they do best together… Drink. After almost all of them downed several cocktails, they each ordered three more once the bartender announced the final call before the end of happy hour.

Nothing on the table went to waste.

Ana is now paying for what she did the night before. Still, she forced herself into work this morning. Thankfully, there are no windows in her office. The only light she can deal with right now is the tiny lamp on her desk. Other than that, she's been trying to drown away the nausea with plenty of water and a few saltine crackers.

Ana, Tammy, Isa, Noah, and Doren could only groan at one another as they pass each other in the halls of Mylegent. One Thirsty Thursday cohort didn't have to say a word to the other. They knew exactly what the other was feeling.

 _At least Kate was the smart one_ , Ana reflected earlier. _She called in sick and stayed home to recuperate._ The thought of Kate sleeping away a hangover, along with seeing her work friends slumping at their desks makes Ana curious as to how José and Maria are making out. So, after one of many bathroom breaks, Ana takes out her phone and checks in.

 ** _How are you and Maria doing?  
I'm struggling over here.  
Kate called in.  
The gang here…all zombies._**

 ** _Yo, I'm good. Maria's good.  
My pops has the best hangover cure.  
It's been passed down for generations._**

 ** _Wow, thanks for sharing the wealth.  
We all could've used it._**

 ** _My bad. Hey, I was going to call you,  
but I might as well tell you.  
You'll never believe who texted me this  
morning._**

Ana sighs and clenches her eyes shut before responding.

 ** _Oh no.  
Don't tell me._**

 ** _Yep. The one and only._**

 ** _Elliot._**

 ** _Bingo.  
He wanted to know if Maria and I were  
available for drinks tonight after my photo shoot._**

 _Son of a…_

 ** _What did you tell him?_**

 ** _I didn't respond.  
I wanted to talk to you first._**

 ** _What are you thinking?_**

 ** _I'm curious what bullshit  
he'll be spinning._**

 ** _Don't waste your time. Here's what's  
going to happen. He's going to spin it  
like he wasn't cheating. He's going to  
say that I overreacted._**

 ** _But girlfriend, he cheated.  
You literally have the receipts._**

For the first time since her drunken fun-filled night, Ana bursts out laughing. Suddenly, she gets a wild thought.

 ** _I think you should take him up on his offer.  
See what he's up to. That way, I'll be ready for him  
if he tries anything._**

 ** _Deal.  
I'll keep you posted._**

...

 ** _(The Next Day)_**

"I'm really horrible at this."

"No, no. All you need to do is swing with your body. You're putting way too much effort into your hands."

"Golf isn't for me. Can we go back to knitting?"

Grace steps back and chuckles. "Sure, we can. But I think if you keep at this, you can be really good."

Ana places the club back in the rack. She scans the indoor-outdoor golf driving range and witnesses the other bays lined up with people at various skill levels. "Golf is so boring," she sighs.

"It relaxes me," Grace counters as she retrieves a different iron from the rack. "I figured at this stage of life, I'd be doing more of _this_ and working less."

Ana steps aside as Grace takes the patch of green and presses the button to eject a golf ball containing a special microchip. "Why don't you?"

Grace shrugs before kneeling and teeing up her ball. "If Carrick and I want to play golf year round, we'd both have to quit our jobs and move south."

"Could you?" Ana asks out of curiosity.

"Why…sure." Grace smoothly takes her shot and manages to score well on the board.

"Man," Ana gasps in awe. _She's good._

"I can't help but be a mama bear. I can't leave Seattle right now with a clean conscience."

Ana sighs. "But your sons are grown men. I'm sure they'd understand."

Grace tilts her head sideways at Ana and frowns. "Although, one of them certainly isn't behaving like a _grown man_."

Ana shrugs. "That's something he'll have to work out."

"He's being absolutely reckless."

Ana pauses and takes a calculated breath. "Well…he says he's getting help. I hope that's not another lie."

"He told me that he was considering it. I'm not so sure he's acted on it yet. But I'm prone to believe that he's just pulling my leg."

"That may be the case."

Suddenly, Grace places a gentle hand on Ana's shoulder. "Sunday afternoons are not the same. When things cool down, no matter which way the cards fall, I'd love for you to join us again for Sunday dinners."

Ana's countenance sinks and her eyes fall to the turf. "I don't think that will ever happen."

Grace is finally forced to stare into the face of reality, and it causes her heart to break just a little bit more.

...

After having lunch at the sports entertainment multiplex, the two women return to Northwest Hospital. Grace veers left and resumes doing rounds with patients, while Ana goes right and spends the rest of the afternoon with two sweet children in the arts and crafts room.

Two hours into her rainbow rubber band bracelet making session with Nadia and Abby, Ana is interrupted by Grace and another doctor.

"Wow, what are you girls making? That is so beautiful!" Grace gushes.

"Very nice, Abby," the man standing next to Grace chimes in.

Ana looks up and finally catches an eye full of the tall dreamy-eyed doctor. His eyes are as blue as two side-by-side swimming pools, and his teeth are as white as snow. His hair—dark, shiny, and full—is parted on the left side. Ana breaks away from their gaze and focuses on the shy little girl with the pretty satin pink scarf tied over her bald head.

"Abby, why don't you show Dr. T your bracelet," Ana urges sweetly.

Abby moves in close, as to tell a secret, prompting Ana to lean down. "It's not done yet," she whispers.

"Alright then," Ana smiles in response. She then turns to Grace. "The artist hasn't completed her masterpiece yet. Although once she's done, she'll gladly show you her creation."

"Very well," Grace chuckles. "Ana, do you have a quick moment?"

Ana stares up in shock. _Oh my God… is it the tests?! Did something come back positive?!_ With her heart nearly leaping out of her chest, she wobbles as she stands to her feet before following the two doctors to another corner of the room.

"Is everything okay?" Ana stifles a tremble.

"Yes," Grace says. Though, once she plays back Ana's shifty demeanor, she suddenly catches wind of the situation. "Oh! Oh God, yes! Everything is fine. I'm certain. That's all squared away. No issues there. But that's not why we're here."

Ana exhales deeply in relief, while Grace's cheeks turn to blush. She didn't mean to alarm Ana, especially about that. Meanwhile, the man in their midst seems at a lost. _Don't even ask_ , Ana thinks to herself.

"I wanted to introduce you to Dr. Michael Lords. He's one of the top surgeons here in pediatrics. _And_ he's single," Grace whispers the last part a little too loudly.

"Ana," the too handsome doctor greets, immediately presenting her with his hand.

Ana's in a haze the moment he states her name without her even giving it to him. Still, she awkwardly takes his hand, and they shake. "Hi… _Doctor_ …"

"Mike," he croons with a voice that's smooth like butter. "Call me Mike. _Please_. I've been watching you volunteer with the children for months. I've been wanting to introduce myself for quite some time."

"Dr. Lords was just asking me if I knew you," Grace says proudly. "I said, ' _Of course I know Ana! She's like a daughter to me!_ '"

Dr. Lords turns to Grace but continues to glance back at Ana. "Well, since she's like a daughter to you, I'm unsure what the protocol is if I wanted to ask this beautiful young lady out to dinner. I hope I'm not being too direct."

Ana gapes at him.

"Goodness…that would be delightful," Grace practically swoons.

Grace's pushiness sends Ana close to the edge.

 _Oh God—what is happening?!_

"I'm sure you're aware that I just came out of a _really_ bad engagement. With Dr. Trevelyan's son, of all people," Ana sighs.

Dr. Lords doesn't even flinch. "I'm fully aware of that."

"Like…two and a half weeks ago," Ana says matter-of-factly. "So, it's fresh. _Very_ fresh."

"I understand that," the doctor smiles, unshaken.

"Ana, sweetie…it's only dinner," Grace tries to reason.

"Can we speak for a moment?" Ana murmurs to Dr. Trevelyan Grey.

For the first time, a crack surfaces in Dr. Lords' confidence. " _I_ …I'll check go on Abby's project."

"I'm sorry, Dr. Lords," Grace sighs quietly.

"No, no. I'll just be right over here," he assures her.

The hunky doctor gives Ana one last silent plea, accompanied with a puppy dog gaze that unfortunately doesn't shatter her resolve. Ana doesn't return his tenderness, and it's enough to send him pitifully dragging his expensive loafers over to the crafts table with his tail wagging in between his legs.

The moment Dr. Lords turns away, Ana turns a stern eye towards Grace. "I know what you're trying to do. You're playing matchmaker again."

"Ana," Grace says breathily, placing a gentle hand on the young woman's forearm. "It's okay to move on."

"I'm heartbroken, Grace. I've been with Elliot for _two years_. _Two_. We were engaged to be married. We _just_ broke up. I'm not ready to move on." Suddenly, tears begin to prick her eyes.

The very sight ushers in a tidal wave of guilt, and it heads straight in Grace's direction. "Ana, I'm sorry."

"I just need to be by myself for a while."

 _Maybe even forever._

"I understand _completely_ ," Grace murmurs.

…

 ** _(Three Days Later)_**

"Say what you will about Dr. Lords, but he's certainly not a quitter. He hasn't stopped asking me about you since you turned him down flat."

Ana's eyes widen in surprise after Grace so unsubtly switches the conversation from apple pie ala mode, to hunky doctors with pearly white teeth. Ana lays down her menu and turns to her left, and she is suddenly chilled to the bone.

Christian's earlier kind expression turns artic. Ana could swear that he's staring daggers right through her skull. It evokes a strange sensation. And for some reason, Ana feels the need to explain herself.

"I wasn't interested. There was no connection between us."

Christian narrows his eyes at her as if he's verifying her sincerity.

"I know what you said, but Dr. Lords is one of my favorite people. He's sweet, kind, and honest. He has a good head on his shoulders, and he comes from a very nice family." Although Ana's words from Saturday were loud and clear, Grace can't help but make one last ditch effort to sell Ana on her beloved colleague.

"I'm not doubting that," Ana says, turning to Grace.

"And he _really_ likes you. He sees how you connect with the children. You know, I think…"

"Mother. Stop it. _Now_."

Christian's curt tone with his mother throws both Grace and Ana off balance. However, Grace quickly brushes it off the moment her phone buzzes on her hip. When she takes it out, Ana practically glares at her.

"No…you're _not_ leaving us," Ana orders.

Christian instantly chuckles, and it's contagious.

"I'm not taking the call," Grace assures the two of them.

The three of them partake in wonderful conversation over soup and salad. The elephant in the room is never addressed. That elephant being Christian's sudden jealousy and Ana's self-imposed obligation to explain herself to him. However, the incident doesn't go unnoticed by Grace. For the first time ever, she realizes that there is something beyond the surface going on between her youngest son and her oldest son's former fiancée.

As Grace's thoughts continue to swirl around in her brain in the middle of talking, her phone goes off yet again "Alright, that's the third straight time. I'd better get this." All eyes are on her as she answers. "Dr. Trevelyan."

Ana watches as Grace's expression morphs into puzzled.

"He's _there_? Well…I'm out to lunch. It'll be another twenty minutes before I return."

Christian's brow furrows at his mother and Grace purses her lips. He now has an inkling as to what the call is all about.

Grace hangs up. "I just think it's strange that my oldest child wouldn't normally give me the time of the day. Now, he's showing up at my job unannounced."

Christian frowns. "You too? He's been randomly showing up at Grey House to see me." He turns to Ana. "Of course, he wants to talk about you not talking to him."

Ana sighs. "He showed up at Kate's job. He's been calling my father and my other friends. He even took José and Maria out for drinks the other day and gave them some sorry dissertation on why I should take him back."

Christian and Grace are visibly appalled.

"I don't know what he's trying to pull," Grace says, disgusted.

Ana sighs. "Perhaps I should give him a chance to talk so he can leave everyone alone."

"No!" Grace and Christian say in unison.

Ana can't help but laugh. "Okay then," she giggles.

"He said some things to me that I don't believe for one second," Grace expresses through gritted teeth.

"He told my father that he was only comforting his secretary. He conveniently left out the part where he was giving her a vaginal exam without a license," Ana says matter-of-factly.

Christian nearly chokes on his water.

"I'm done, Grace. I am _so_ done," Ana declares.

" _Good_ ," Christian mumbles under her breath. It takes Ana by surprise, but she doesn't address the matter in front of Grace.

...

The moment Ana steps out of her Honda in the parking garage, Elliot turns the corner. Ironically, the sight of him in the empty parking structure adjacent to her place of employment doesn't surprise her. In fact, she expected to see him. After all he's done, him showing up here was inevitable.

What Ana didn't expect was for him to look so miserable and worn. He's dressed in his standard light blue buttoned-up shirt with jeans. Yet his golden blond hair is in disarray. His blue eyes are sunken in two deep dark circles. His skin is pale. _He definitely hasn't been eating_ , Ana thinks.

"Ana… I'm _so_ …so sorry…"

He inches towards her, but she holds out her hand to keep him from getting any closer.

"Please. I need you to hear me out," he rasps.

Ana responds wordlessly. She adjusts her bag on her shoulder and then leans over to one side. Her eyes tell him that she doesn't want to be in his presence, but _here we are_. She's all eyes and ears.

"You are the best thing that's _ever_ happened to me. I know I took you for granted. In the beginning, I pursued you for months. And when I finally got you, I didn't treat you like the queen that you are. As a result, I've suffered greatly these past twenty-one days. I can't live without you, Ana."

Ana doesn't say a word. She doesn't even look away.

"Look, I know I fucked up. _Bad_. And I know that I don't deserve your forgiveness. But I can't let you go, Ana… I _can't_." He's now on the verge of tears, but Ana is unmovable. "I'm getting help. You can go with me to therapy. Or _don't_. It's completely up to you. But I'm going to get myself right so I can try and earn you back. I realize that sex isn't important. What you and I had was much more than that. I've never had that with anyone. You're the first woman that I can honestly say that I truly love. I'll never feel for someone else the way I feel about you. You're **it** for me, Ana. And I understand if you need time, but I can't leave you alone. I _can't_."

Elliot stops talking for a beat and he takes in Ana's _'I'm so over it'_ gaze.

"Are you finished?" she finally speaks out. He nods pitifully. "Good. So… Let's talk about all the times you avoided my phone calls. And when you did answer, you'd get mad at me for asking where you were. Also, I can count on _one finger_ the times I've been over to your apartment. God knows _what_ you were doing over there."

Elliot sighs defensively. "Ana, I told you…"

"Hey—I let you talk!" Her yell echoes throughout the garage and beyond. To her surprise, Elliot immediately ceases moving his mouth. "I'm so mad at myself because I settled." She's now on the verge of tears.

"Ana…"

"No… I settled being put last," Ana trembles. "I don't want to be last anymore. I've never, _ever_ been first. I want to be first for a change."

"You will be. I promise…"

Ignoring him, she cuts him off. "So, from here on out, I'm putting **me** first. I'm moving ahead, Elliot, and not behind. I suggest you do the same. We're done. Finished. Goodbye."

As she proceeds to walk away, Elliot turns on her like a flip of a light switch.

"Nobody else will want you! You're a very shitty, selfish person! You know that?! You are heartless!"

With Elliot literally behind her, Ana stretches a sad smile.

 _And there it is. That's the_ _ **real**_ _Elliot. Not the groveling, pitiful mess I witnessed just two seconds ago. Nobody knows the real Elliot. Nobody has seen the true him until now. He has a black heart._

 ** _He's_** _the shitty person.  
_ _ **He's**_ _the selfish one.  
_ _ **He's**_ _heartless._

"I put a fifty-thousand-dollar ring on your hand! I was going to whisk you away from your boring life and make you somebody! But you obviously don't want that! Instead, you're settling for some dead-end job! You'll amount to _nothing_ without me!"

It's as if he kicked her in the face. In an instant, all of her past sacrifices rush straight to the surface. His venomous words are enough to stop her dead in her tracks. But before she can turn around and fall right into his trap— _my anger is exactly what he wants_ —she resumes walking.

"Hey! Do me a favor and stay away from my mother! You have no business hanging around her anymore! In fact, stay away from my whole fucking family! We're _finished_!" he hisses.

Ana continues on until she reaches her office building. When she arrives at her office, she locks the door and immediately falls apart.

…

 ** _(Three Weeks Later)_**

"Ana… My goodness! _Finally_."

Grace breathes a deep sigh of relief the moment Ana finally picks up the phone. She's been trying, almost in vain, to get in touch with Ana for weeks now. Grace told herself that this would be the last call before showing up to either Ana's apartment, or at her office at Mylegent.

"Hi. Is everything okay?" Although Ana sounds nonchalant, her heart is everything but. Still, she holds it together for the woman that she admires. The woman that she's been avoiding for the past three weeks.

"I've been worried about you. I need you to tell me why you ditched knitting last month and why you've been ignoring all of my calls. And don't feed me any BS. You know I can smell that stuff from a mile away."

Grace's frankness causes Ana to sink further into her office chair. Her defenses immediately fall by the wayside. "Last time I saw you, which was after we had lunch with Christian, I came back to work and Elliot was waiting for me in the parking garage."

"Oh dear."

"He told me that we were finished and to stay away from his family…"

Grace immediately boils over. "What?!"

"…so, I tried to honor that."

"Don't you _dare_ listen to him, Ana! I told you that I didn't care what happened between the two of you…you'd always be my daughter! Who is _he_ to tell you to stop talking to _me_?! I'm a grown ass woman!"

Grace's wind of fury over the phone nearly causes Ana's hair to blow back. "You have a point. But you have to admit that it's super weird that I lunch, golf, and knit with my ex's mother."

"Ana," Grace exhales. "You don't get it. Our time together isn't _weird_. It's something that I always look forward to because it is so important to me."

"Me too," Ana breathes.

"It has nothing to do with Elliot."

"Does it have to do with Mia?"

Ana immediately regrets the words that storm out of her mouth. But it's too late. She can't take them back. She regrets them even more when she hears a staggered breath on the other end of the line.

"I'm sorry," Ana says.

"No… You're right," Grace concedes. "If I'm being totally honest with myself, you absolutely do remind me of my Mia. And I'm not ashamed to say that spending time with you made me happy again. I don't regret any of it."

Grace's declaration causes a squeezing sensation in Ana's chest. A rush of guilt bubbles up inside of her.

Ana comes clean. "I don't regret us hanging out, either. You're like a second mother to me."

"So, it appears that you're able to separate me from my son."

"Absolutely," Ana scoffs. _Grace is not Elliot by any stretch of the imagination. He is truly behaving like the stereotypical wicked adopted son who's blind to unconditional love._

"Then why do we have to stop being friends?" Grace submits.

Ana agrees that Elliot is being foolish by keeping her from seeing his mother. As the two women continue talking, and the conversation shifts from heavy to light-hearted, Ana feels more at ease. By the end of the call, Ana promises herself that in spite of what Elliot thinks, she can never turn her back on Grace ever again.

...

 ** _(Four Days Later)_**

Since a bulk of the crew had to skip out on yesterday's Thirsty Thursday at the bar due to other obligations, it was canceled. Still, José and Maria desperately wanted to catch up with Ana. So, the trio decides to meet up at their favorite bar for Friday happy hour. However, Maria's running slightly behind due to traffic. While they wait for her, Ana quickly brings José up to speed on life after Elliot, including Grace's meltdown after finding out that her son forced Ana to keep away from her.

"That family is crazy as hell," José groans.

Instead of arguing, Ana shrugs.

And as if the heavens were playing a cruel joke, in walks a casually dressed Christian Grey. He's accompanied by three men, also dressed casually. The second he spots Ana at the high-top table with José, he stops in his tracks and tells the other gentlemen that he'll catch up with them shortly.

The moment Ana sees him, her eyes perk up.

"Hey, you! What're you doing here?"

To Christian's surprise, Ana leans forward and greets him with a hug. Although he's alarmed by her current situation, her gesture of warmth is well received.

"I'm meeting with some business partners," he responds.

"Christian, you remember my friend José?" Ana prompts.

José gives him a warm greeting which Christian doesn't return. Instead, the no-nonsense CEO pulls up a chair and joins them at the table. He then turns to Ana, as if she's the only person here.

"I've been trying to get in touch with you."

She sighs. "I know."

"Grace told me what happened."

Ana shrugs. "Yeah."

"Fuck him. We are still friends, Ana. I don't care what he says."

She gapes at him. The expression on his face is heated. He eventually realizes this and tries his best to soften up.

"How have you been doing?" he asks.

"I'm okay," Ana breathes. "I'm hanging in there."

"The family misses you on Sundays."

"Grace said as much," she cracks a melancholy smile. "Although, I'm sure not _everyone_ in the family feels the same."

"No need to mention the _irrelevant_ one," Christian groans.

Ana laughs.

Suddenly, Christian turns to José. "I apologize for being rude. I haven't spoken to this young lady in a while."

"Oh, no worries," José brushes off.

"You're a photographer, right?"

"That's right," José nods. "I'm still a part-time barista as well. But hopefully not for long."

"You're engaged, right? To… _Maria_ , is it?"

"Yep. That's my girl," José beams proudly.

"She's actually on her way. She's running a little behind," Ana informs Christian.

When Christian's shoulders relax ever so slightly, the movement doesn't go unnoticed by José. However, the gesture completely flies over Ana's head.

…

"Wow—that was some coincidence," José remarks.

Ana takes a sip of her cosmopolitan and then furrows a brow. "Yeah."

"We were just talking about the Greys, then _Super Grey_ shows up."

Ana chuckles. Before she can speak, José pauses her by holding up a single finger.

"Two things. First of all, let me just say that Christian Grey is so fucking good looking that I nearly had second thoughts about my own sexuality." Ana laughs out loud. "No joke. Dude is pretty as hell."

Ana tilts her head sideways and crinkles her nose. "Well…I guess he kinda is."

"You _guess_? Woman—are you blind?" he snaps.

She laughs. "See, I never thought of him like that. He's always just been Elliot's little brother to me. Oh…and let me say that for a while, I could've sworn that his mom was trying to set me up with him."

He smiles with amusement and then folds his arms. "Oh, _really_?"

"Mm-hmm," Ana smirks, equally as amused. "She'd make just the three of us go to lunch and then every time, she'd have an ' _emergency call_ '…" she says with air quotes, "…that she'd had to take, leaving Christian and me alone for nearly thirty minutes at a time."

Jose starts cracking up and then gives Grace kudos for trying.

"So, what's the second thing?" Ana says, still smiling.

"Oh yes," he says, remembering himself. "Christian Grey? Yeah…he wants you. He wants you _bad_."

"Hell no," Ana frowns. "Absolutely not."

"Absolutely," he says, nodding with exaggeration. "You didn't see dude's face the moment he saw me sitting here alone with you?"

Ana laughs. "That's just Christian. He hardly ever smiles."

"Dude had a stick up his ass until you mentioned that Maria was on her way. You realized he finally left shortly after that, right?"

"Stop being so hyperbolic," she says with an eye roll.

"I'm _not_ being hyperbolic. I should've waited to mention that I was engaged to Maria to see how long he would've sat here."

Ana shakes her head, thinking that one of her very best friends has clearly lost his mind.

"Look. Over there," he whispers with a subtle head gesture. Ana turns around and sees that Christian is looking right at her from across the bar. They stare at each other and slowly his unexpressive mouth curves into a smile. Ana's heart begins to palpitate.

She quickly turns away and gapes at José.

"Sweet Lord." She is breathless.

"Yes," he whispers right back wearing a smug expression. "Dude wants to heal your broken heart in more ways than one," he teases just before winking. Ana slaps his arm hard on the table.

"Stop that."

"Two brothers, one girl," he quips.

" _Eww_ ," Ana frowns. "Two brothers, _no_ girl. At least not this one."

José flashes a skeptical look before laughing.

* * *

 ** _(THE PRESENT – Ana's birthday in Maui)_**

The moment Ana stepped inside the villa earlier, she fell madly in love with it. The scale of it all is utterly insane, but it still maintains an intimate charm. She knew right away that as soon as Christian bought it, he paid a top interior designer to add subtle touches to the place. All three of the homes that he owns, at least the ones Ana has been in, have a certain flair that only belongs to Christian Grey.

He's is in the middle of taking a business call in another other room when Ana exits the master bath in a fluffy white robe. With a towel tightly wrapped around her damp hair, she journeys into the walk-in closet for the first time. She's astonished.

"Unbelievable," she gasps.

This one is stocked, too, just like the one at home. Except this one has rows of beachwear and summer dresses—all with tags still on them. Every article of clothing her hands touch is more beautiful than the one before it. Ana then turns to scan Christian's wardrobe, and she immediately recalls his closet at the Seattle penthouse. She always smells his clothes, whether he's in them or out of them. His scent is her aphrodisiac. She presses her nose against a tan blazer— _tan_ , she thinks to herself. _Not the man who lives in gray and black._ She smiles. _I can't_ _ **wait**_ _to see him wear this._

There's a short wooden chest of drawers nearby. And something perched behind a bottle of shoe cleaner catches her eyes. It's a little fuchsia box _. Another Friday night surprise? What will he fuck me in tomorrow tonight?_ A mischievous smile creeps on her face.

 _Should I, or shouldn't I?_ Ana debates the notion.

 _Oh...what the hell._

Ana quickly snatches up the box and flips it open. One look and she can barely keep standing. It's not a pair of earrings. Nor is it a small instrument of sexual pleasure. Her eyes are nearly blinded by the sight of it, but she manages to gaze at the initials " _LS_ " in script etched on the inside of the lid.

"Shit. You found it."

With her heart practically beating outside of her chest, Ana spins around and sees Christian standing in the doorway. With shaky hands, she holds out the box towards him.

" _I_ … I didn't mean…"

Christian wrestles a smile. "Honestly, I didn't mean for you to find it. I'm usually better with keeping things hidden. But this time, I wasn't thinking."

As he takes the open box away, a piece of Ana goes with him. She thinks, _did I just make a fatal mistake by snooping around?_

"No, don't be sorry, baby. It's not your fault that I was careless. It's just… I saw it and I knew that it was absolutely perfect. I couldn't stop looking at it and thinking of the many ways how to sweep you off your feet."

 _But you already_ do, Ana immediately thinks to herself. He turns the box back around and shows her once more one of the most beautiful and elaborate diamond rings that she's ever seen. It's a 12-carat solitaire diamond set in a band that's 18 karats of rose gold, which is laced with miniature diamonds.

Little did she know, Christian was hoping that tonight would be their _million-dollar night_. Actually, more like _three million-dollar night_. But he couldn't find the courage to seal the deal. _Maybe this wasn't a fatal error, after all_ , he thinks. Perhaps his rare occurrence of absent-mindedness is simply a blessing in disguise.

Or could it be his biggest miscalculation?

 _Is it way too soon?_ And although he entertains the thought, his resolve chases it away. _I love her. It's never too soon. I've already waited forever for her, and I'd wait forever again if I have to._

"I'd been rehearsing an elaborate proposal over and over again… One I'd do right here in our new home in Maui. I thought about doing it earlier while we were having your birthday dinner on our balcony overlooking the Pacific. Then I decided to do it tomorrow as we strolled along the beach together. Either way, it would just be you and me when it happens. No crowd. Just us…"

"Yes," she breathes.

Christian's eyes practically fall from his head. "Excuse me?"

"I know," Ana sighs. "I'm insane. I only said _yes_ to Elliot a few months ago."

Christian frowns. "He put you in a really shitty position. You didn't want to be embarrassed, nor did you want to embarrass him in front of his birthday guests. He knew exactly what the hell he was doing."

Suddenly, it dawns on him that she actually said _'yes'_. He immediately takes on such a boyish charm, that it triggers Ana to giggle.

"Wait a minute. You're actually going to marry me?"

She nods, trying her hardest to keep her giddiness at bay. "I love being with you, and I can't live without you. You're the love of my life. It's a given. Of course, I'll marry you."

He swoops down on her and pulls her up to him, claiming her mouth. They kiss one another with all they have. But the moment Ana flinches, Christian breaks the embrace. He gazes down at her. _Is she second guessing this already?_ His nervousness from before returns with a vengeance.

"What's wrong, baby?"

"This feels so right," she whispers, "but this isn't going to be a peaceful engagement. We're going to have to face Elliot head on now."

Christian lets out a jagged sigh. "You know I couldn't care less about how he feels."

"I know," she hums. "But we need to keep the peace for as long as possible. For your mom's sake. For all of our sakes. Maybe we need to gauge things before we officially come out. You know what I'm saying?"

Christian closes his eyes, battling with the idea of continuing to keep their love a secret. But more than anything, he wants to make this woman happy. And if keeping the peace is what does it, he'll make the sacrifice.

He releases her.

"I'll give it two weeks—no more," he compromises.

"Just two weeks?"

"Yep. I can't keep quiet about this. You're going to be mine forever. That's a pretty big deal," he smirks.

Ana turns bashful. "I'm already _forever yours_."

"Now it's essentially official. But first, let's do this right."

Christian suddenly drops down on one knee and Ana laughs.

He formally proposes to his one and only true love inside of their walk-in closet in Maui.

…

Ana's engagement ring is now behind her back as her wrists are bound by a set of diamond-encrusted handcuffs. Around her neck is a Harry Winston diamond necklace and her lobes are adorned with earrings that match it.

Christian's hands firmly grip her hips as he pushes back and forth inside of her with power and precision, causing her to cry out. "You left your butt plugs in Seattle, didn't you?" he labors. She responds with a moan and he strokes harder. "I guess we'll have to improvise."

Suddenly, he places a thumb in the center of her derrière and then pushes it beyond the surface of her tight opening. She gasps loudly before jerking her head backwards.

"That's it, baby. You enjoy ass play so much, don't you?"

As he continues to thrust his hips, his thumb slides in deeper. In no time, Ana screams out her intense orgasm. Christian quickly removes her handcuffs and he soon catches up with her. Ana pants hard as her climax continues to rip through her body. After coming hard too, Christian collapses on her back. For Ana, the full weight of his rock-hard body on top of hers is such a delicious feeling.

 _Holy hell…this man brings out the pure animal in me_ , she reflects with a slight smile. _  
And I love every single minute of it._

Christian breathes lovingly into her ear before kissing her temple. "Happy birthday, my beloved fiancée."

His words and his tenderness cause butterflies to flutter all over Ana's body, even after coming down from such an intense high.

 _I'm floating on a cloud.  
I'll never tread on solid ground as long as he is with me._

* * *

 ** _A/N: WARNING—Very long message ahead, haha!_**

 ** _Hey, faithful readers! I sincerely apologize for the long delay between updates. My initial intentions were good, but I had no idea how difficult it would be to promote my debut book on top of having a very busy life in general._**

 ** _So, here's what I'm dealing with: I have two milestone birthday celebrations that are happening next month (I'm actually in charge of coordinating BOTH events), my son's birthday is this month, my father is still dealing with medical issues, and my full-time job is extremely stressful. I have a debut novel that launches June 7_** ** _th_** ** _, and since nobody knows me, I have to work overtime to establish my online presence. And not only do I have to finish this story (AMT), but there are two other books that I plan on writing before the end of the year._**

 ** _Therefore, please bear with me for the next month or so. You haven't lost me in the Fifty FF Fandom. I'm here on this site for as long as you'll have me. But please keep in mind that if I want to eventually quit my day job and write for us full-time (haha!), I need to keep working on my original material in the meantime. Like I said before, as long as I adore Christian and Ana, I will continue to post fanfic here. :)_**

 ** _I just ask that you continue to be patient with me as I figure out life, as well as this writing journey. Rest assured—AMT is in my veins, so I will NEVER abandon it. In fact, I've only ever put one story on hold because I already completed its predecessor in fifty chapters. For those who want "Taking Care of Business" finished (which is just "Business and Pleasure" from CTG's POV), that one is on the backburner. I just have way too many fresh new ideas right now to backtrack and relive a story that I've already written. One day, I will feel like going back and reliving B &P (another story that I love) …but I digress._**

 ** _AMT is completely outlined, and I know exactly how it will end. I even have the final chapter and epilogue all laid out, and it's quite juicy! So, hang in there, faithful readers. If you are very impatient, I ask that you wait until the story is complete (which it will be), hopefully by the end of 2019._**

 ** _But if you ARE patient, please join my group "Storie Tells All [Storietella2]" on Facebook to see teasers and estimated update times. I'll even drop spoilers from time to time. We also have some HILARIOUS Elliot conversations taking place in there! It's a "closed" group, so your uptight Facebook friends won't even know you're a member unless THEY are a member. ;)_**

 ** _As I mentioned before, and I truly mean it this time, I will no longer be addressing my readers in my review section. That section is for YOUR feedback on characters and story. And because I do this for free, your kind or constructive feedback is my only currency. So, that area is sacred. :)_**

 ** _For those of you wondering how much longer we have to go, I have about ten chapters left in me. AMT will be well over 200k words, which is PLENTY of material for all of us to continue to go back to and digest over and over again. :) The moment the story is complete, I advise that you swipe it up ASAP. Find whatever tools you can to download it to your hard drive. That's all I will say. ;)_**

 ** _Anyway…here's what's coming next in chapter 11. Mr. Megalomaniac finally rears his head to Ana. Christian doesn't think that his fiancée should keep her job anymore. Will our lovebirds argue for the first time?_**

 ** _Then, when we flashback, it looks like Mr. Sociopath is back on the prowl. And guess who's now on the menu? When we reach the final flash-forward, that will be the end of flashbacks for the remainder of the story. Elliot will finally discover the truth about his brother and his ex._**

 ** _A quick plug for my upcoming book: If you're a romance nut and you often leave reviews on Amazon, Goodreads, or Bookbub, I'd like to invite you to sign-up for the few ARCs (FREE Advanced Reader Copies) that I am doling out right now. Visit the home page at tkcherry (dotcom) for the form. Warning, it is a cheating story, but with a very unique twist to it._**

 ** _Thanks for reading! Oh…and thank you from the bottom of my heart for voting "Another Man's Treasure" as the #1 work in progress for the month of May! – ST2_**


	11. Chapter 11

**Chapter 11** **–** **Elliot Who?**

 ** _(THE PRESENT – Back in Seattle)_**

"I still can't believe it," Ana whispers.

She can hardly contain the smile on her face. Her joy does something unspeakable to Christian. The man who has always prided himself in exercising strict self-control has never felt so elated in his entire existence.

He reflected back on the moment when Ana first agreed to go out with him. He recalls the rush of hope that he felt on the inside. Still, at the time, the two of them being together wasn't a sure thing.

And although he'd claimed her body repeatedly on the night of their first date, he still had to burn past the bushel of thorns that Elliot had planted in order to get to and fully claim her heart. Afterwards, she would move into the penthouse with him, but forever still wasn't assured. Christian always had some semblance of fear conjoined with his unyielding hope. He understood that anyone or any situation could put his and Ana's blossoming relationship in jeopardy. Their circumstance alone is enough to dissolve the strongest of relationships.

Ana was previously engaged to his brother.  
And now, the two of them had to keep their new engagement a secret.

Still, having his ring placed on her finger is the biggest victory that Christian could've ever hoped for. That fear has slowly untangled itself from his unyielding hope. What remains is something that borders on the line of blessed assurance. The only thing that will send him soaring past that borderline into full-on bliss is to hear her say, ' _I do_ '. It's his only guarantee that nothing on this earth will ever tear them apart.

Not even Elliot.

Today, he had confirmation that she was his. Soon, she would be his wife. But for him, _soon_ isn't soon enough. Christian wanted to marry her right away in that closet after she'd said _'yes'_ for the second time. And although he's so used to getting his way, he knew that he couldn't press the issue of elopement with her. She is still fragile, after all. This has to be on her terms, even though he doesn't want to see the calendar turn to 2016 without being able to call her his wife.

As Ana stands before him in their bedroom, his thumb pads over the corner of her mouth.

"What can't you believe?" he murmurs tenderly.

"Everything," she gushes. "My birthday weekend in Maui. _This_." She brandishes her ring like the blushing fiancée that she is. But suddenly, her smile fades just a little bit. Christian's hand gently cups her chin. When his gray eyes speak for him, she knows she must tell him exactly what's on her mind. "I can't wear this tomorrow. I'll have to take it off."

He feels a sting spread across his chest, and anger threatens to rear its ugly head. Ana notices it and then caresses both of his arms in order to keep it at bay.

"It's only a piece of jewelry on the outside," she whispers sweetly. "People change out their material possessions every day, like clothes. But I have a Christian Grey-shaped ring on the inside of me that no one can take away…nor can they see it right now. But I know it's there. And _you_ know it's there."

Christian's eyes come alive and he takes her by the face with both hands before leaning down to kiss her. When he pulls away, he lowers his hands down her torso to remove her t-shirt. Ana looks up at him in sincere adoration as he continues to undress her slowly with care. She has never felt so loved. So… Wanted. It's an indescribable feeling.

"What are you doing, Mr. Grey," she teases. She loves getting him to talk during intimacy. She never knows what he may say next, but whatever comes out of his mouth always sends her soaring.

"I'm going to make love to my fiancée," Christian croons. "I hope you don't mind."

Ana sweetly shakes her head. "Not at all. In fact, I highly encourage it."

"It pleases me so much to hear that, Miss Steele." He smiles, then kisses her once more.

…

Naked and under the covers, Ana adjusts her head on the pillow and turns to watch Christian. Even in the darkness of the room, she knows that he's not asleep. Aided by the pale moonlight shimmering through the window, she spots the rapid eye movement underneath his clamped-down lids. It's only been five minutes since her last mind-blowing orgasm. When he promised earlier to make love to her, he delivered in spades. Her body continues to surge in waves from the impact of her release.

But when a random thought enters her mind, she wonders if it's something that she should address right here and now. She doesn't want to ruin their moment. Still, sometimes, she simply can't help herself. When she wants answers, she wants them now.

"I remember that time when José and I saw you at the bar. When you left, José told me that he could tell that you had a thing for me," she chuckles nervously.

Christian's eyes spring open, and he turns on his side to face her. He reaches out to caress her wild chestnut hair. "Absolutely," he hums, sending chills down her spine.

For some reason, it still surprises Ana to hear that. Even though this is the same guy who said that he loved her from the moment he first saw her at his birthday party over two years ago. She couldn't make the connection. In fact, she still has a hard time making sense of it all in her head.

 _Christian Grey can have any woman he wants.  
Why me?  
I'm way too complicated._

Which is why his continual validation does wonders for her once battered self-esteem.

"Were you jealous?"

He blinks. "Of my brother? Fuck yes."

"No—I'm speaking about that day…at the bar. Were you jealous when you saw me sitting with José?"

Ana immediately feels foolish for asking such a question once she hears her own words back. There was always this morbid curiosity inside of her that wondered if she could ever make a man feel jealous. She never felt that she could make Elliot feel that way or even Doug. And after all, Elliot knew that José was one of her best friends. In fact, Elliot never truly felt threatened by Ana spending time with anyone else.

Well…except for his mother.

Christian's hand moves down from her hair to her cheek. "Ana, I'm a very jealous man. When I want something badly, I don't like it when someone else even _looks_ like they have it. Does that answer your question?"

Ana is astounded by the truthful manner in how he responds. "But you met José before. You knew that he was one of my best friends who so happened to be engaged."

"I didn't care," he growls. "He was with you at the time, enjoying your company…and I wasn't. And he's a man. A man with eyes that can see the beautiful woman sitting before him."

Ana releases a sigh. "Again, he's _engaged_."

"It didn't matter," Christian says snippily.

"So, are you saying that I shouldn't trust you having drinks with a good friend of the opposite sex?"

Christian inches in closer and looks her dead in the eye. "Well, first of all, I don't have any _good friends_ of the opposite sex. And if I did, I would never be alone with them in any circumstance. Even if it were a female business associate, the rules still apply. I have too much respect for you to ever put myself in such a predicament. I also have self-respect."

His words astonish her. She decides to bring it back to his original answer when he thought the question was about someone else. "What about Elliot? You said you were jealous of him." It's a no-brainer. In fact, she's heard him address this time and time again. However, for some sick reason, it makes Ana feel good to know that someone wanted her more than the person who had her; someone like _him_.

Christian's expression turns dark. "I've told you before how much I don't care to speak about my brother while we're in bed, naked."

"I'm sorry," Ana immediately atones.

When Christian witnesses the regret on her face, he softens. He glides the back of his hand across the soft skin of her face. "I told you—that night I first met you at my surprise birthday party, I knew right away that he didn't deserve you. So yes, I was extremely upset that you ended up with him. You weren't supposed to be with him. You and I were always meant to be together, baby."

Ana's stunned into silence as he continues to caress her skin with his hand, and then taking it up to her hair. Her eyes spring upwards and she studies the way that his hand weaves intricately in between her chestnut strands.

Something enters Christian's mind and his hand stills. He briefly closes his eyes, as if warring with the thought. When his eyes reopen, they are filled with resolve. "I have a confession to make. I vowed to always be completely honest with you. I believe it's paramount since my brother was _never_ honest with you."

Ana's heart jumps in fear of what she may hear next.  
 _Oh no. What now?_

"I had you followed."

Her head jerks back in disbelief. "You had me _followed_? _What_?! When? For how long?"

"After you finally dumped my brother like the trash he is, I wanted to make certain you didn't go back to him. I didn't want you falling for his bullshit, which I expected him to dish out an extra helping of. When my guy told me that you were at a bar with a male companion, I immediately asked if it was my brother. Then when I found out it wasn't him—but in fact it was another man, I was equally as pissed. So, I decided to move my meeting from my conference room to the bar across town."

She gapes at him. "The same bar as me."

He caresses her chin and nods, now with a relaxed expression. "Mm-hmm." He then leans in and gives her soft lips a peck, but Ana remains flabbergasted. "I wasn't going to stop until I made you mine. I wasn't going to let another asshole steal you away from me again."

With so many thoughts running through her head, it's no wonder that Ana has no idea what else to say. But when a yawn slips out, she's suddenly made aware of the time. "Goodness, I've gotta wake up in a few hours—and so do you." Ana has so many unanswered questions, but she's too exhausted to begin a new line of interrogation. She resolves to revisit this tomorrow. _Maybe I'll send him an email about it from work in the morning once I wrap my head around all of this_ , she thinks.

Christian kisses the tip of her nose. "You're finally going to be my wife. With that comes the perk of never having to work another day. In fact, you don't have to go to work tomorrow if you don't want to." Charged up and stunned, Ana tries to sit up in bed, but Christian grabs ahold of her so she can't move. "Baby, I just…"

"Do you think that's what I want?" she gapes.

"Wait…you don't want to marry me anymore?" he gasps, shaken.

Ana's taken aback. _Where in the hell did he get that from?! I wasn't even alluding to that!_ "Of _course_ , I want to marry you. I mean the _not working_ part. What makes you think that I don't enjoy working?" she says, affronted.

"I only said that you wouldn't _have to_ work," he qualifies.

While she's still startled by him seemingly trying to take control of her life, Christian throws her for another loop by suddenly rolling his naked body on top of hers and kissing her hard. She fights it at first, but after a few beats, she's enraptured and allows his tongue to go inside of her mouth. His newly invigorated erection presses against her belly causing her to moan. Just when Ana is about to lose herself completely, Christian suddenly breaks the kiss.

"I don't think your employer will be as flexible as I need them to be. What if I want you to travel with me to Hong Kong with only a day's notice? What if I wanted to take you to Sydney, Australia to ring in the New Year?"

Ana sighs. "Christian, lots of regular people can't just pick up and leave like that."

"But you're not _regular_. You never have been," he says, visibly bothered by her words. "Face it, we're going to have to pick up and leave sometime. There's no way I could ever leave Seattle without you, even for a day. I'm not doing it. My heart is just too wrapped up in you. It would be like leaving a piece of me behind. Hell, I even hate us being apart for eight to ten hours of the day during the week."

Ana sighs. Never could she imagine being overwhelmed by a man who loves her so much that he can't bear to be separated from her for even a second. It's an extremely sharp contrast to the situation that she recently got out of where the guy actually made up excuses _not_ to be by her side.

"I know that you enjoy working at Mylegent. I understand how much your job means to you. But I hoped that one of these days, I'd mean more."

"Christian," Ana groans. "That's just not fair. You can't compare our relationship to my career. These are two very separate things."

"Not if your job is keeping you from me."

"And yours isn't?" she tosses back at him.

Christian's eyes widen. "Do you feel that my business is interfering with us? Tell me the truth."

"No," she speaks up right away as she frowns. "You and I have the perfect balance. We do what we need to do, then we come home and spend quality time together."

He briefly considers what Ana just said. "But I do bring my work home with me. Even while we're away, I often take calls and respond to emails."

"And I'm okay with that," Ana reassures him. She runs a hand through his wild copper mane. "It doesn't interfere. Let's face it…if it wasn't for work, we'd always be on top of each other." She tries her best to disguise a smirk but fails miserably.

However, Christian doesn't hide his. "Like this?" He starts to wiggle his hips while on top of her. Ana giggles. "You know I don't mind us always being on top of each other."

"But it's okay not to be that way all the time. It's healthy to be apart for a few hours…or even a day. Longing for each other is good. Coming back together after being apart is even better," she croons. She tugs at his hair, wordlessly urging him to kiss her. He does. Ana feels his erection getting harder against her thigh. Her breathing picks up.

When Christian pulls away from the kiss, he says, "I still want you to travel with me. I can't stand to be in another town without you near me. Ros, my second in command, she's already fed up with me turning down trips left and right. She's been wracking her brain trying to find out why I haven't been wanting to go anywhere. I guess she'll find out as soon when the world does." With pride and joy on his face, he kisses his one true love again.

"This conversation is a little too deep for the bedroom," Ana murmurs once they separate their mouths.

"I agree, but we'll have to work this out soon."

"I know," she whispers before kissing him again, briefly. "Just one thing. Do you still have people following me, even though you and I are _together_ -together?"

"Yep," he says matter-of-factly. Ana gapes up at him. "Unfortunately, I don't trust my _big brother_." The way Christian says it, there lies no honor in that title.

Ana chuckles then smirks. "You too?"

He lets out a quick laugh before presses his lips to hers, letting it linger.  
"Now, why are we even talking about him?"

"I don't know. You brought him up this time…not me," she playfully hums.

When they kiss again, this time it leads to lovemaking that brings forth two consecutive powerful orgasms for Ana.

...

 ** _(THE PAST – Four Months Ago)_**

Things have been fairly quiet on the Elliot front over the past month, which seems rather strange to Ana after his earlier persistence. She's still hanging out with Grace on a weekly basis. Oddly enough, Grace doesn't bring up her ex. Perhaps it's because she's been too busy trying to set up Ana with another guy, in spite of Ana's continuing protests. Ana keeps reminding Grace that she requires time to get over her traumatic relationship with her oldest son.

Meanwhile, Grace doesn't cease to tell Ana that she's too young and beautiful to remain single. In spite of Ana's frustration with her good friend, who's been more like a mother to her than her own, she can't help but be flattered by the compliment. Grace has been a basket full of sunshine on a cloudy Seattle day.

However, there is one thing that has continued to put a sour taste in Ana's mouth. Grace has begun getting bolder with suggesting that Ana should do lunch with Christian alone from time to time. Just the other day over lunch, Grace took it even further.

 _"_ _You said that you don't connect with Dr. Lords.  
But what about Christian? You two get along just fine,"  
Grace says matter-of-factly._

 _"_ _Grace, do you even hear yourself?"  
Ana sighs in exasperation._

The whole notion seems utterly ridiculous in Ana's eyes. No matter how much she protests to Grace that this is indeed a terrible idea, it's as if Ana has never expressed ' _no_ ' in the first place. Usually, Grace seemingly walks away one day with the understanding of Ana's objection, only to return the next time they meet and once again push the issue of Ana going out with Christian.

 _"_ _Christian doesn't smile very much.  
But I noticed that he smiles more often  
whenever you're around."_

Grace's words from their most recent lunch meeting boomerang into Ana's mind every so often, and she dismisses them each time. She doesn't want to give the mere idea any sort of life. Therefore, Ana ignores the tingle in her gut whenever she thinks about Christian smiling at her. Still, a stray thought or two may occasionally take form.

 _When he does smile, he looks even more hot…  
If that's even freaking humanly possible.  
Jesus._

 _Alright, Steele—focus._

Ana also avoids dwelling on the times when Christian would be standing close beside her on a Saturday while volunteering at the hospital. On occasion, he unknowingly places a firm steady hand on the small of her back. Every one of his slight touches has been photographed in Ana's mind and stored in the subconscious 'spank bank' before the memory resurrects and takes over her at night while she's in bed. She's constantly warring with herself about it.

 _And for goodness sakes, don't even dare think about how tightly he holds me whenever we hug._

 _Ana, settle down.  
It's just a misguided crush.  
He doesn't think of you in that way._

However, Ana recently made the connection that Christian hasn't missed a single Saturday at Northwest ever since he heard that his mother was trying to fix her up with Dr. Lords. There was that one time when the dreamy male doctor actually came around to greet the children in the crafts room. Well… he was there to greet Ana, mostly. But Christian was right there in the doctor's face, glaring a hole straight into his forehead.

It was a sight that Ana couldn't shake. Ana contemplated, _Is he really jealous?_ She'd be lying to herself if the very thought of Christian Grey being jealous of another man vying for her attention didn't turn her on.

However, this weekend, Ana wanted a break. She told Grace and Christian that she wouldn't be showing up this Saturday to volunteer. Ana is dead set against feeling any sort of pressure this weekend. She definitely didn't want to endure pressure from the potential connection that she may feel with Christian. And most importantly, she didn't want to feel the pressure from Grace to explore that potential connection. All Ana wants to do is let her hair down and enjoy a stress-free weekend.

In order to ensure that she remains busy while having a good time, Ana decides to give her very best friend a call while at her desk in between meetings. When Kate answers, Ana immediately smiles.

"You know— it's a damn shame that we live together, and we hardly ever see each other."

"Yeah," Kate awkwardly chuckles.

"You're always spending the night at Keenan's."

Kate hesitates. "Well… You used to spend the night with your guy."

Ana sighs. "Elliot was always at our place. When he and I were together, you saw us. I haven't seen _you_ in weeks."

"Fair enough," Kate concedes.

"I miss you," Ana sighs.

"I miss you, too."

"I'm sure you'll be busy with Mr. Ricci this weekend. If not, I was hoping that you and I could hang out. I'm skipping out on volunteering tomorrow."

"Oh? Are you?"

"Yeah. I was hoping to watch a crap ton of old movies. And drink. A lot. I was also hoping not to do it alone."

"Well, I have good news. My weekend plans actually fell through. So, I'm down for whatever."

"Yay!" cheers Ana.

"I actually just saw an email come through for a concert at Pike Place Market tomorrow."

"Let's do it!" beams Ana.

"Great! I'll forward you the email."

After her call with Kate, Ana suddenly receives a hot claims issue that she needs to deal with directly. It's one that April couldn't resolve on her own. As Ana holds on speakerphone, she decides to parse through her email queue. Suddenly, she sees Kate's name appear in her inbox. As soon as Ana clicks on the brand-new email, she's greeted with a popup message stating that the sender is attempting to recall the sent email. Ana stares at the decision buttons and wonders why Kate is trying to take it back. The header of her email reads: " _This Weekend_ ".

When the person she's holding for returns, Ana suddenly hears her cell phone nearby practically vibrating off the desk. When she looks at the screen, she sees that it's Kate. _I wonder what she wants,_ Ana ponders while focusing on the call taking place around her. When the caller places Ana on a second brief hold, she ponders if Kate just called to make sure that Ana received her email. So, instead of accepting the recall action, Ana rejects it before launching the email to read it.

* * *

From: Katherine Kavanagh  
Subject: FW: This Weekend  
Date: May 8, 2015, 11:26  
To: Anastasia Steele

xxxxxxxxxx

From: Katherine Kavanagh  
Subject: RE: This Weekend  
Date: May 8, 2015, 11:17  
To: Elliot Grey

Boo! I'm going to miss you this weekend. Do you have to go to Idaho? Please, take me with you, haha!

By the way, I'm sort of partial to the letter **X**. By the time you get to that one, its show time. :)

I'll miss you more.

Love,  
Your Blonde Sugar

* * *

 _WHAT?! Your Blonde Sugar?!_

Ana gapes wide at the screen, wondering if her eyes deceive her. She keeps scanning down the email chain. As she does, she completely ignores the chatter on the phone.

* * *

From: Elliot Grey  
Subject: This Weekend  
Date: May 8, 2015, 10:35  
To: Katherine Kavanagh

Hello gorgeous. Unfortunately, I've gotta take that trip to Idaho for a meeting on that new project I was telling you about. I'm sorry to spring this on you last minute. Believe me, I'd rather be home with you making magic in my bed. But unfortunately, duty calls.

I'll miss you terribly. Call me when you get off work tonight. I should still be on the road heading to my destination.

Today's email has been brought to you by the letter **E** , your absolute favorite. ;)

XO—E

Elliot Grey  
President/Owner  
Grey Construction

* * *

"You have some nerve being here now!" Ana snarls as she angrily throws her toiletries into a cardboard box in her bathroom. She takes no care on what item goes where. "Normally, I wouldn't see you until super late. On weekends…not at all. I guess I now know where you've actually been all this time!" she puffs through gritted teeth.

Although Ana feels like she could vomit into the sink right in front of her at any given moment, she opts for controlled anger over inconsolable sadness. Anger has more of a tendency to repel. Sadness might elicit a hug, and she definitely doesn't want one of those from _this_ particular individual. Not now or ever again.

"I know there's nothing I can say," Kate murmurs just behind her on the other side of the doorpost.

The rhythmic thumping of toiletries against cardboard suddenly stops. Ana swings around. Her once sky-blue eyes swim in a sea of red veins. Tears pool there, but the downpour stubbornly holds back. Her tears are suspended, just like her understanding of this entire sordid situation.

"You're goddamn right. There's nothing you can say that would _ever_ make this right."

"I know…but… You're not even with him anymore," Kate attempts to reason. Her voice, shaky.

Ana lets out a sinister chuckle. "You've gotta be fucking kidding me. We were _best friends_ , Kate."

"We _were_ ," Kate stresses wholeheartedly. "We _are_."

"No… _were_." Ana turns back around and continues packing.

"Where will you go? Look…you don't have to leave. I can leave if you…"

Swiftly, Ana turns back around and faces Kate with even more ire etched on her face. "You think I want to be here?! After what you've done?! Did you fuck him here, too?!"

"No!" Kate shouts emphatically with a disgusted frown.

A whole new sinking feeling takes over Ana's stomach. It nearly causes her to groan in agony. "So… His place. Hey, at least you did something that I never could. He and I never spent any time together there." Ana forces a smile that doesn't reach past her lips. "Good for you. I hope you're happy with him." Her false smile wipes clean away. "Although, I did miss the memo when you and Keenan broke up. Until today, I assumed that you were with him."

"I broke it off with him two weeks ago," Kate says regretfully.

Full of skepticism, Ana shrugs. "That's new. I wasn't under the impression that you'd broken up. You never even alluded to that. Normally, you tell me everything." Ana internally snorts at the irony.

 _Yeah, she didn't even give me the common courtesy to warn me when she started fucking my former fiancé._

"I had to break up with him. Especially when…" Suddenly, Kate pauses.

Ana immediately reads her pained expression. It makes her fume even more. She completes Kate's thought. "When things started to heat up with you and Elliot?" she hisses. When Kate tucks in her lips and looks down, Ana knows that she has her answer. "How did it happen? When did it happen? Were you always into him like this? Did you two screw around when we—?"

"No, we didn't," Kate cuts her off with a disgusted frown. "Nothing ever happened until afterwards."

Ana tosses Kate's sincere expression by the wayside. There is no room inside of her shattered heart for compassion. All Ana sees standing right before her is utter betrayal.

Still, Kate continues to defend her actions. "Nothing happened until after you called off the engagement. He was so torn, Ana. Destroyed. I've never seen him like that before." Ana hisses, yet Kate explains on. "He confided in me. He loved you _so much_ …that much I know is true." Ana scoffs, not believing a single word of it, but Kate dissents. " _No_ …he did. He truly did. I felt so bad for him. _Really_ bad. He was miserable."

"You felt _so bad_ , that you decided to fuck him behind my back?! He and I were together for **_two years_** , Kate! We were _engaged_ to be **_married_** just two months ago!" Ana rages. Her once beautiful porcelain skin is now beet red. She is just inches away from Kate's face, breathing out her rage in a hot puff of heat. Kate can almost feel it starting to scorch her bones.

"I know…I know. But he began confiding in me when you wouldn't speak to him—no matter how hard he tried to work things out with you."

"He cheated on me, Kate!" Ana seethes. "Multiple times! But I guess you think you're more special?" Ana gives a bitter shrug, and Kate's expression falls. "And maybe you are more special. Maybe you can change him. I know I couldn't." She sighs deeply, watching as tears stream down Kate's face. "I just think that it's fucked up, considering that we were best friends for eight years. It wouldn't hurt as much as it does if it happened with someone like Tammy…or Isa. But you? _You_!"

Ana can't fight it anymore. Her tears finally break from her eyes and roll down her hot cheeks. And just as she feared, Kate tries and comes closer. However, Ana holds out her hand, freezing Kate in her place. The expression on Ana's face warns Kate of an unstoppable rage if she moves any closer. Kate feels helpless and defenseless.

"It wasn't on purpose, Ana, I swear!" Kate pleads with her whole heart. "It just… _happened_. I… I didn't mean for…"

"You didn't mean to slip, trip, and fall on Elliot's cock, right? Is that what you wanted to say?" Ana strikes back venomously.

Kate is seconds away from melting onto the floor in a puddle of despair. But in one swift, fluid motion, Ana picks up her box from the bathroom counter and shoves it straight into Kate's chest, jerking her aside.

"I'll get the rest of my shit later," Ana groans, trying hard not to lose it any further. "Preferably when you're not here. I never want to see or speak to you again."

"Ana!" Kate wails. Ana presses on, barreling towards the front door. When she reaches it, she awkwardly balances the box on her hip as she tugs the knob forward.

...

 ** _(Three Days Later)_**

Grace gazes cautiously across the table at Ana as she slowly sips her soup. The cacophony from the growing lunch crowd is starting to grow louder. However, Dr. Trevelyan Grey hears nothing but her own breathing and the occasional clanking of Ana's metal spoon against her porcelain bowl.

The tomato bisque tastes especially good this morning—especially to someone who has barely consumed a single morsel of anything in nearly three days. Ana was glad that Grace insisted that they try this brand-new soup bistro located not too far from Ana's office. _I can probably stomach soup, at least. Anything heavier is bound to climb back up my esophagus_ , Ana reflected earlier.

"So, what's new?" Grace attempts to break the ice. "Anything?" She studies Ana carefully. And although Grace knows that Ana's been having a difficult time since her breakup with Elliot, today especially, Ana appears to be even more fragile. Grace had to practically pull Ana's teeth to make her forgo the stale, cold sandwiches in the vending machine at Mylegent's breakroom.

Ana doesn't look up, but she does pause her spoon midair. "I moved out of my apartment on Friday," she murmurs matter-of-factly. "I'm now crashing with José and Maria."

Grace's head juts back slightly, and her eyes widen. "Really? What happened?"

"I found out that Elliot has been screwing my roommate—my best friend." Ana fights the suffocating lump in her throat and shoves her spoon into her mouth. She closes her eyes, taking in the creamy richness of the tomato, and breaking down each herb and spice with every receptor of her tongue. She lets the taste gradually explode in her mouth.

Meanwhile, on the other end of the table, Grace's fists are clenched. At nearly the last minute, she stops them from flopping hard against the table in a rage. Instead, she takes in several deep breaths and eventually unravels her fists. Ana is surprised that the normally gentle and self-composed wife, mother, and doctor has an immediate reaction that's more physical than verbal.

Ana takes the time to answer Grace's lingering questions in between scraping her baguette against the remnants of her soup bowl. She addresses the when, the where, and the how— _well_ …as much of it as she knows, anyway. Ana herself still has a ton of unanswered questions lingering in her mind.

 _How could Kate sacrifice eight years of friendship for a known cheater? Kate saw first-hand what Elliot put me through._ It's a question that Ana has resolved that she may never get the answer to. The feeling of such a reality causes her stomach to roil with the soup that she just ate. She reaches for her glass of ice water and silently prays that the ill feeling subsides.

Finally, after what seemed to be several minutes, Grace finally speaks up. "I've been trying to get Carrick to talk some sense into him, but we both know that Elliot will simply tell his father what he wants to hear. Meanwhile, Elliot doesn't even bother to stop his stupidity, even branching out into higher heights. Unbelievable." Ana sees the rough fury oozing back onto Grace's usually soft face. "His behavior is excessive and beyond unconscionable."

"It's a pattern for him," Ana says, looking Grace directly in the eye. "I don't know why I was so naïve for so long."

"Ana…he fooled you. He fooled everyone," Grace bites. "Don't you dare blame yourself for any of this."

Ana shelves Grace's words and continues on with her previous thought. "Even though I'm very upset at Kate, I'm almost afraid for her. I mean…what makes her think that Elliot wouldn't do to her what he did to me? Maybe even worse." She feels a chill shoot up her spine after she says the words.

"I should've stopped the pattern years ago. He was young and dumb—wild and free, and I was foolish to believe that he'd grow out of it. Then, when Mia died, it only got worse."

Grace's anger subsides once more, setting free a palpable grief that's almost unbearable. But it isn't grief for her lost teenage daughter. No, all these years, Grace has been watching her eldest child gradually kill himself right before her very eyes. The very thought nearly makes Grace hunch over in her chair in extreme heartache.

"I am so embarrassed. And ashamed," Grace barely manages to gasp out. "I never thought in a million years that any of my children would ever bring shame to themselves, me or our family… _Ever_. Carrick and I didn't raise Elliot to behave that way. Only God knows where on earth he got that from."

Ana immediately remembers the time when Christian told her about Elliot's birth parents— His rich womanizing father, and his inconsolable mother who pretty much died the day her husband abandoned her and their young son. Ana has no idea if Grace knows anything about this. This was information that Christian managed to retrieve through a very extensive background check of his own brother. And although the revelation pierces Ana inside her chest, she vows never to bring it up to Grace. The last thing Ana wants is for Grace to be upset with _two_ sons.

Ana passes a fresh napkin across the table, and Grace retrieves it, immediately dotting the corners of her eyes with it. "I should be mad," Ana mutters. "I _was_ mad. Very mad. But now… I'm just sad." Ana's gaze falls to the table and Grace stretches forth a hand to touch Ana's. "I'm afraid…more so for Kate. Maybe Elliot did seek to use her to get to me. However, once he saw that she could be easily manipulated and that I no longer could, he took advantage of her. The Kate I knew would've never dropped her guard. He obviously found a weak spot. Now, Kate doesn't see anything wrong with what she did."

The pain that Ana shoved down her belly earlier suddenly rises up again. With her free hand, she takes another sip of water and takes a series of deep, calming breaths. Without thinking, Grace practices the same technique, breathing in sync with Ana.

"Kate will obviously have to learn the hard way," Grace eventually says with a sigh. "And I hate to say such negative things about my own son, but Elliot refuses to change. He is going to destroy himself…and _her_ if he doesn't get his shit together."

Grace's words are ominous, causing Ana to shiver. Not only does Ana fear for Kate, but she's beginning to fear for an unrepentant Elliot, too.

...

Ana drives home after work. José and Maria's place is just a little further out than the apartment she once shared with Kate. Although there appears to be no end in sight for the slow-moving traffic, Ana doesn't pick up when her mother calls. Ana wants to ride home in total silence. She doesn't even turn on the radio. After the phone stops ringing, all she hears is the roar of her own engine and the vehicles surrounding her. There's also the occasional impatient driver with the too-loud booming base-filled stereo system, switching lanes in the short five seconds of time when traffic moves before braking, coming to yet another frustrating halt.

After ten minutes of silent contemplating, the sounds of Ana's ringing phone fill her car again. This time, it's not Carla calling. She closes her eyes and pulls in a deep breath. This caller is one that she's been wanting to speak to for the past few days. She can't figure out why, because it isn't like anyone could ever take away the anguish that she's been living with for the past two months.

Against her better judgment, she decides to pick up in the middle of the third ring.

"Hey," she murmurs.

"Ana."

Hearing Christian's husky yet silky base-filled tone saying her name almost feels like a soothing balm coming over her. Ana lets the feeling linger, sending a charge to nearly every nerve ending in her tense little body.

"My mother told me what happened. I'm beyond disgusted," Christian hisses.

"Me too."

"Is she insane—Kavanagh?"

Ana shrugs. "She started to feel really sorry for him after I broke up with him."

"Look—can I be candid with you for a moment?"

Christian's sudden request takes Ana by surprise. "Yeah," she murmurs. "Sure."

"The Elliot I know has always been notorious for fucking his girlfriend's friends." Ana gasps, but he continues. "I am hard pressed to believe that things were already hot and heavy between Elliot and Kate before the two of you broke up. I'm sure if you look back long and hard, you'll see the signs that you missed the first time around. Elliot's probably been trying to work into that girl's panties for quite a while. Especially since she is definitely his type… Blonde and loose."

The once dull ache in Ana is now alive and sharp. As Christian continues to speak, Ana's mind lingers on the last words that she heard before she started to dissolve. As she begins to dwell on the past—the times that she and Elliot hung out with Kate with their group of friends on rare occasions, or the moments when just the three of them would be playing cards or board games on a rainy Saturday, Ana slowly recalls a certain look on Elliot's face.

It was a particular look that he'd give when he thought that neither Ana nor Kate saw him. Ana suddenly envisions threesome sugarplum fairies dancing in Elliot's twisted head at the memory of him lowering his gaze after focusing it on Kate. Ana remembers seeing him licking his lips before raising his head and catching her looking at him.

Ana's breath hitches in her throat at the chilling memory.

"Ana?" Christian speaks up, concerned.

She's frazzled. " _I_ …I've gotta go. Can I call you back later?"

The normally composed Christian panics at the sound of her voice. "Are you okay? Do you need me to come and get you wherever you are?"

"No, no," Ana strongly insists. "I'm almost at José and Maria's."

Christian sighs, and if Ana is not mistaken, it's a sound of irritation. "My mother told me you were staying with them. Do you need help finding a place of your own? I can—"

"No." Ana flinches at her own annoyed voice. "I'll call you back— Okay?"

"Okay." Christian's spirit crashes as he sinks further into the back seat of his luxury SUV. He adjusts his silk tie with one hand and clears his throat. "I'll be looking forward to your call. Remember that."

Something inside of Ana leaps, but she doesn't know what it is. "Okay," she barely manages to get out.

It's a whispered promise, but somehow Christian's soul is reassured. He wishes more than anything that he was by her side, helping her to mitigate all of the trauma that she is currently going through. He hopes that whatever she does after hanging up from him doesn't lead to another face-to-face confrontation with Kate. Or worse…one with Elliot. As long as Ana stays on the highway and takes the proper exit, he feels confident in moving forward with his plan to claim her.

It's a plan that he's been dreaming up for over two years. Now, Elliot has driven the final stake through Ana's heart.

Now, Christian feels that it's all up to him to deliver the heart transplant.

Ana ends the call with Christian and quickly dials Kate's number, the same one she blocked on Friday. Ana almost hangs up after the fourth ring, but the sound stops before she can lift a finger.

"Ana?" The shrill of Kate's voice circulating the enclosed vehicle tells Ana that Kate didn't expect her to ever call again. Kate knows that what she's done is an unforgivable offense. _So whatever Ana's purpose for this call is, it isn't going to be a positive experience_ , Kate thinks to herself as she sits behind her desk at the PR firm.

"I just need you to answer one question, and I promise never to ask you anything else. I'll simply move on with my life, putting all of this behind me."

An ache spreads across Kate's chest. "Sure," she exhales tightly.

"Did you and Elliot ever fool around when we were still together? It doesn't necessarily have to be just sex. Did you touch in any way…or make out? Yes or no?"

As the line is quiet for longer than five seconds, Ana's soul starts to turn inside out.

"I assume your silence means _'yes'_ ," Ana rasps, her voice cracking.

Kate sighs, unable to find the words to respond. In fact, there aren't any right words for this situation. Whether or not she's willing to admit it, she'd always had eyes for Elliot. And that one time earlier this year when Ana excused herself to use the bathroom, and Elliot rose up from the card table and quickly brushed his thumb across her bottom lip out of nowhere, Kate suddenly came alive. It turns out that her secret crush for him wasn't unrequited after all. However, it turned out to be a double-edged sword. Kate never thought that following her heart would destroy her best friend in the process.

Kate wishes that she could take it back and undo all of the hurt that she's caused. _Yeah, Ana may have left Elliot, but she wasn't completely over it. The breakup was still too new. Now, I'm with him._

 _This is beyond shitty, and I genuinely hate myself for it._

"Ana…"

With tears welling in her eyes, Ana hangs up.

...

 ** _(The Next Day)_**

Ana had been beside herself ever since coming to the realization last night that Elliot and Kate had been toying with the idea of messing around for quite a while. And ever since Grace found out what her son and Kate had been up to, she has stuck to Ana like Velcro.

In spite of Ana's fresh wounds, Grace no longer wants the young woman wasting any more time dwelling on the hurt and pain. In fact, Grace believes that it is vital for Ana to move on, for survival sake. _It's been well over two months_ , Grace pondered earlier in the day in between rounds at the hospital. _It's been more than_ _enough time for Ana to quit torturing herself._

This time, instead of persuading Ana to come out to lunch with her two days in a row, Grace decides to bring lunch directly to Ana.

Shedding her white lab coat, but still sporting her hospital access badge clipped on the hem of her stylish navy-blue slacks, Grace steps inside of Ana's small window-less office. She shuts the door behind her before bringing the paper bag forward and dropping it on the desk. In spite of the crumpling sound, Ana's eyes are fixated on her screen immediately after asking that Grace give her a moment to finish up a pressing business-related email.

As Ana taps the keys at a rigorous pace, her downtrodden expression doesn't go unnoticed by Grace. Just looking at her, Grace sees that the life has been sucked completely out of her. The fact that the man that she was just engaged to is now sleeping with her best friend, and it all started brewing way before their relationship even ended, was obviously a devastating blow.

As the two women talked over lunch, Grace must've stood up from her seat to hug Ana at least five times.

When Grace leaves to return to work, she hugs Ana one last time before quietly murmuring in her ear, "Believe it or not, my idiotic son did you a huge favor. So did Kate. Now, you don't have to feel bad if you ever decide to go out with Christian."

Grace's words stun Ana. Before Ana can fix her lips to respond, Grace is gone.

...

After work, Ana goes out drinking with José and Maria, and she can't help but get upset all over again. It doesn't help that the engaged couple sitting on the other side of the table are mad as hell, too.

"Kate and Elliot belong together," Maria hisses. "They both enjoy the occasional fling, anyway."

Ana shrugs at the harsh but true remark before taking another swig of her drink. "Elliot makes _relationship number four_ for Kate in eight years. In college, there was Steve Fisher, then Aaron Michaels. She and Keenan hit it off not long after we first moved here from Vancouver. I thought they were really serious. I figured she'd be engaged before me. Keenan was the longest she'd been with anyone, but she totally blew that away by hooking up with _my_ ex. I feel bad. Keenan was such a good guy. What a shit show."

With that, Ana drinks again.

"I never said anything to anyone other than José about this— But I saw the look on Kate's face the moment Elliot proposed to you at his birthday party. She was always jealous of you two," Maria frowns. "I knew there was something up with her. I could never put a finger on it."

Maria turns to her fiancé for validation. She recalls those times in the past when she would voice what José believed at the time were unfounded concerns. With a tight lip, José shifted his sights from Maria to Ana.

"Hey… You should _totally_ do Elliot's brother."

The words come out of nowhere. Ana gapes at him. However, when she turns and looks at Maria, expecting that she'd be just as shocked, the future Mrs. Rodriguez shrugs her shoulders, an action that seems to be repeating itself this evening. Ana's jaw nearly drops to the table, and all the air releases out of her mouth.

"My _lord_ …that man is beyond gorgeous," Maria gushes.

"Excuse me?" José teases with one brow raised. When Maria flashes him a _'really, José?'_ look, he chuckles. "Alright. You have a point," he concedes before facing Ana. "I already told you what I thought about the dude."

Ana rolls her eyes.

"And according to José, he definitely has a thing for you," Maria adds. "You should let him take you out if he asks," she beams, all dreamy-eyed. "If he ever knocks on your door, you should totally let him in."

Ana is visibly appalled by her two friends. " _Let him in_?" she gasps loudly. "What is that supposed to mean? In _where_?"

"Well…" José trails off, mimicking his fiancée's earlier shrug.

"Don't be ridiculous," Ana hisses at the couple. "I refuse to play Kate and Elliot's nasty game. Besides, Christian is Elliot's brother. I'd _never_ stoop so low."

"But its _Christian Grey_ ," José playfully argues.

"I don't care _who_ he is, it's in poor taste," Ana snaps back.

" _Christian_. _Grey_." José repeats the name in a breathless whisper. It causes both Maria and Ana to laugh.

"Well, he is one of the richest men in Seattle," Maria says on second thought. "So, why not?"

"The _world_ , honey," José corrects. "He's one of the richest men in _the world_."

"I. Don't. Care." Ana sounds out the words carefully so that her dear friends don't miss a single one. She takes a quick sip of her second cosmopolitan and then places it right back on the table. "I'm swearing off men. I'm done. Especially with _Grey_ men."

Maria and José both answer with an understanding nod.

"You have a point," Maria finally comes around. "Who's to say Christian isn't like his brother? They did grow up in the same household, after all. If Elliot's a man-whore, Christian is probably one, too."

For some reason, José doesn't echo Maria's expression this time around. But before he can contradict her, Ana beats him to it.

"Elliot and Christian are like night and day," Ana says. "If anything, Christian has been beyond embarrassed by his brother's behavior. He was the one who actually put the thought in my head that Elliot and Kate were probably messing around way before he and I had broken up. It turned out to be true."

" _See_ ," José beams proudly. "I told you. Christian. Grey. You're going to end up with him. Just wait until the Nooz catches wind of this next exciting installment of the juicy _Grey Family Saga_ , starring _you_."

José raises his glass in a mock toast. Meanwhile, Ana sticks her fingers in the glass of water next to her cosmo before flinging the droplets in José's direction. He can't duck well enough to fully escape the spray, and some of it even lands on Maria.

Soon, the three of them begin having a water sprinkle fight while being totally incapable of containing their laughter.

…

 ** _(The Next Day)_**

The moment Ana reaches the Mylegent lobby first thing in the morning, she immediately spots Gretchen. Once again, the Eastern European au pair's luxurious long blond hair hangs free, nearly touching her blouse-covered abdomen. Gretchen is standing when she and Ana lock eyes. The moment Ana scans down from the shapely blonde's face to the child stroller that she grips tightly in one hand, her heart jumps.

"Ana—sorry… I had…"

Gretchen didn't even have to complete the sentence. Ana knew exactly why she sought her out this early morning. Ana assumes that it took the poor girl the entire two months to garner the courage to seek Ana's help.

 _Well, I guess she didn't bother going through with that abortion after all._

With wide-open eyes, Ana approaches the stroller and then looks inside to see a beautiful, blonde little girl sitting there with short legs dangling wildly. Wearing a pretty light blue dress, she clutches a brown stuffed bear that has a pink bow with white polka dots affixed to its head. Ana figures that she's almost two years old, based on both looks and timing.

"Her name is Nala," Gretchen answers one of Ana's many lingering questions as if partially reading her mind.

"Nala Grey?" Ana carefully whispers.

"Nala Stoica. Her daddy isn't on her birth certificate," Gretchen sadly states. "He didn't want her."

Ana gazes at Nala again, and this time she runs a hand across the little angel's silky soft hair. The girl's big beautiful blue eyes nearly take up her entire face. Nala tilts her head up to watch the strange dark-haired lady now petting her hair.

 _She looks just like Elliot_ , Ana thinks. _  
There is no denying that she is his daughter._

"I couldn't go through with it. When I was waiting in that dimly lit room all alone for them to…" Gretchen labors through her thick accent, getting choked up at the very traumatic memory. " _I_ … I had to run out of there."

"I totally understand," Ana places a kind hand on Gretchen's shoulder. "Hey…you want to follow me over to my office?"

...

"Jesus Christ," Tammy gasps with Isa standing by her side. Ana is seated behind her desk.

"So, he has a secret baby," Isa recaps. She demanded to know why her two friends would often speak privately behind closed doors and not share anything with the rest of their tight-knit group. After badgering Ana and Tammy for months, Ana finally decided to let just one more person into the madness of her new reality.

"I wonder if Christian knows," Ana sighs.

"Hell, Elliot doesn't even know," sparks Tammy.

"But Christian would," Ana says ominously.

The two standing women gape wide at a sitting Ana.

"Are you telling me that Christian has people watching his brother's every move?" Tammy gasps.

Ana's pressed lips form a crooked line, and she remains silent.

"Oh my God," Isa jolts. "Is it _that_ serious? Serious enough to have him followed?"

"He needed proof that Elliot was screwing around. I wasn't going to take his word for it," Ana reveals.

"Look, I don't care who you are, or how much money you have— You are not going to pay to have someone else followed around for _years_ unless there's something in it for you."

Isa's words cause all eyes to be on her.

"Holy shit!" Tammy whispers loudly. "Of _course_!"

" _Of course_ , what?" Ana frowns.

A satisfying smirk begins to spread across Mrs. Schmidt's face. "He wants you. _Bad_."

"Who?" Ana is totally clueless, which astounds both Tammy and Isa.

"Christian…Christian Grey," Tammy snorts. "Come on, girl— Don't you see?"

"Don't be ridiculous," Ana scoffs.

"Hey…what are you doing for lunch? Let's go now so we can ditch the guys and finish this discussion," Tammy happily suggests. Isa is practically dancing on her toes in excitement. She's happy to hear about someone else's drama for a change.

"I can't," Ana says apologetically. "I'm having lunch with Grace."

Tammy can't believe her ears. "Elliot's mom? _Again_? This makes it a third time straight. I'm starting to develop a complex, here. When are you ever going to have lunch with your friends?"

"I'm sorry," Ana says with a sincere tilt of the head. "It's just…Grace is the only one who truly knows what I'm going through since this affects her as well. Her oldest son is being a straight-up jackass."

"Alright, but you're _not_ skipping out on Thirsty Thursday tomorrow. That's an order," Tammy says sternly. Isa adamantly nods in agreement.

"Oh, I'll be there," Ana assures them both.

…

At lunch, Ana can't seem to find the nerve to bring up Gretchen's visit this morning along with Elliot's secret little girl. If nothing else, Ana wants to shield that sweet one from her daddy's epic mess.

By the look on Grace's face, she can tell that Ana is holding something back. In a split second, Ana corrects her posture and expression before Grace develops the need to probe like the good doctor that she is.

Ana is pleased so far that Grace hasn't tried playing matchmaker yet. However, her celebration comes just a moment prematurely. Grace is back to matchmaking form once the two women step outside of the restaurant.

"So… I think Christian might be up to taking you out."

Ana's gaze grows round and wide at the beautiful mature woman standing next to her.

"You said you didn't feel any chemistry with Dr. Lords, but what about Christian?" Grace asks.

" _Up to taking me out_?" Ana scowls while bringing Grace's earlier words back to her. "I don't want anyone feeling sorry for me."

Grace's heart nearly crashes. "Oh no, that's not what I was implying." Without saying another word, Grace grabs a hold of Ana in both arms and embraces her wholeheartedly. When she pulls away, she places a hand on either side of Ana's face and studies her sparkling blue eyes. "Ana, you don't understand how much of a gift you are. I just want you to be treated like you deserve to be treated. You are a gem. An absolute treasure."

As Ana takes Grace in, she can feel love and warmth surrounding her. It's almost enough to move her to tears. Ana has never seen anyone look at her so sincere. However, the very second Grace brings Christian back up again, the moving moment is extinguished like a campfire during a torrential downpour.

"Christian has the biggest heart out of anyone that I know. He may not express it verbally, but his loving actions speak louder than his few words ever could."

Ana can't help but think back to how Christian treats his mother. Although Ana hardly ever seen him in the beginning of her and Elliot's relationship, Christian's love for Grace has always been more than evident. He named his very first catamaran after his adoptive mother. He's constantly donating money to all of the causes that are near and dear to his mother's heart. And every time Grace needed him, Christian was right there.

 _Who wouldn't fall for a man who loves his mother like that?_

The rogue thought startles Ana. Meanwhile, Grace continues to hold Ana's face and wait on a reaction from her… _Something_. Grace has been trying for a long time to get Ana to see the benefit of just spending quality time with her youngest son. If nothing else, Christian would help bring Ana comfort, even though Grace prays that the outcome would be that they transcended being friends.

 _They'd be absolutely perfect for one another—I just know it_ , Grace assures herself. _She'd bring him out of his shell, while he'd help heal her broken heart._

On the flipside, Ana couldn't dream of killing that sparkle in Grace's eye. Even though she knows that she could never see herself dating Christian in a million years— _it would be extremely tacky_ , she doesn't see a problem with just having lunch or dinner with him every once in a while. They've already done it a dozen times with Grace. _What's the harm in doing it without her?_

 _Christian and I are just friends.  
I dine with my friends all the time._

"I'll think about it," Ana finally says.

Ana thought that Grace's expression of hope couldn't be any greater, but Dr. Trevelyan Grey's broad smile begins to overtake her.

"Oh, Ana…"

"I didn't say yes," Ana smirks in warning.  
"I said I'd _think about it_."

...

Since lunch, Ana has been unable to get the thought of Christian out of her head. In a way, it's been a good distraction from thoughts of Elliot. There's the gut-wrenching fact that he and Kate were holding torches for one another, even while Elliot and Ana were a couple _and_ Elliot was physically entertaining other women on the side.

Then there's the revelation of Gretchen not getting that abortion that Elliot desperately wanted her to get. That beautiful little blonde blue-eyed girl had been permanently etched into Ana's brain. Her heart breaks for Nala having to live in a world without knowing who her father is. _Who could ever look that angel in the face and refuse her?_ There were moments during the day when Ana would get a sinking feeling. All the while when she and Elliot were a couple, this innocent little girl was in this world without her father. Ana had a difficult time separating herself from the guilt.

This afternoon hadn't been the first time that Grace pitched Christian to Ana, but for some reason, it had been most effective. It also helped that four of Ana's friends have put inside of her head that Christian has a thing for her.

 _No.  
Impossible.  
Me?  
Used goods?  
His big brother's sloppy seconds?_

 _No— Not me._

Still, Ana couldn't stop thinking about the possibility. Part of her wanted everyone to be wrong about their impression on the unreadable Christian Grey. _He's just overly kind. He only feels sorry for me_ , Ana thinks. But no matter what she tells herself, she can't get the image of him out of her head.

So, as she sits in traffic, as she does every day after work, she toys with her phone in the empty seat beside her.

 _Should I?  
Shouldn't I?_

Then she remembers that she owed him a phone call, giving her the perfect excuse to ring him. She crawls the vehicle, then taps the brake when every tail light ahead of her flashes red. She picks up the phone and then finds his name. And for some uncontrollable reason, her heart pulsates outside of her skin. The phone barely even rings.

"Well… Hello there."

The deep, satiny vibrato of his voice shoots straight down and between her thighs. She desperately tries to ward it off.

"Hi," she responds shyly.

"It's about time," he teases. "I've been waiting for you to call me back for two days now."

"I'm sorry…"

"No big deal," he quickly adds. "You called."

Ana doesn't know why she does it, but she smiles a shy smile. Unbeknownst to her, Christian even feels her smile over the airways, and it invigorates him.

"How are you?" he gently asks.

"Okay. I guess."

"You _guess_?" he challenges. "What would make you better than ' _okay'_?"

"Getting out of this traffic," she chuckles.

The two proceed to talk about their day at work. Ana is truly fascinated by what Christian does on a day-to-day basis, which includes all of his valiant efforts to help preserve the planet. Through it all, he remains humble. He states that everyone simply needs to do their share, no matter how big or small, in order to make sure there is a world left for generations to come.

"But I am not inventing solar-powered machines that help purify water for developing countries. Hey, at least I recycle," Ana shrugs.

Christian chuckles. "That's definitely something. Every little bit helps. You are doing your part."

All of a sudden Ana feels butterflies. She can't remember ever hearing Christian laugh. As they continue to chat, she slowly lets down her guard, and she can tell that he does the same. She's nearly a few minutes away from José and Maria's place, her new home when she winds down their conversation.

"It was great talking to you," she says, not really wanting the call to end.

"I'm so glad to hear your voice." His words make Ana light up on the inside. "I was getting worried, considering how much you were in a rush to hang up from me the last time we spoke. I thought you were upset with me by implying Elliot and Katherine were going at it way before you and Elliot ended things."

Suddenly, all of the horrible feelings that Ana had been denying flood back to the surface. Visions of Nala also return to her head. "It's fine," she says, but Christian knows that it isn't. He can almost hear her heart breaking all over again.

"Somethings wrong," Christian declares with urgency. "Tell me."

Ana wishes she can close her eyes, but she's beyond slow-moving traffic and now driving at the speed limit. She is forced to face this thing head-on without a second thought.

"Gretchen came by my office this morning."

"Oh?"

Ana hums in the affirmative. "I thought she had an abortion."

Christian clears his throat. "She didn't get it."

When he says it, Ana knows that he's not just simply completing her thought. He says it as if he'd already known. Ana's eyes grow wide. "Does Grace know, too?"

"No," Christian says quickly. "The news will devastate her."

"I don't think she'd shun the baby," Ana argues.

"That's not what I meant," Christian counters. "It will kill her that she didn't know that her grandchild roamed the earth. I have no doubt that Grace will take in both that child and Gretchen. Unfortunately, that will do very little to win Elliot over. He'll still want nothing to do with either of them. They are merely an inconvenience for his fast lifestyle."

Ana parks her car in the lot near the apartment building she now calls home. Unable to move, she sinks into her seat as the now too familiar sick feeling takes over her body.

...

 ** _(The Next Day)_**

Ana is in the car heading to the bar to meet her friends for Thirsty Thursday when Grace calls. She knows that she can't chat for long since she doesn't have all that far to drive. Earlier she briefly talked to her mother, Carla, promising that she'd call her back when she left the bar later tonight.

When Grace is mid-sentence, Ana's other line rings.

"Christian is calling," Ana says before she can stop herself.

"My goodness… Answer it!"

The excitement in Grace's voice cannot be ignored. Ana simply rolls her eyes and smirks. "I can call him back…"

Grace shocks Ana and hangs up before she can continue her sentence. Ana chuckles nervously and shakes her head. "Grace, Grace, Grace," she tsks out loud. She goes ahead and answers Christian's call.

"Did I catch you at a bad time?" Christian says immediately.

"No, I was just speaking to your mother."

"Oh yes…you chat with Grace every so often during your drive when you're not talking to your mother in New Zealand." Ana smiles at the fact that Christian remembers something about her. "Have you spoken to your mother yet?" he asks.

"Briefly. In fact, she told me that she and Bob are moving back to Georgia early. It could be as soon as next month."

"That's good news. I'm sure you miss her."

"I do. And her husband is more than ready to return stateside."

" _Her husband_?" Christian says in humor. "Doesn't that make him your stepfather?"

Ana laughs. "Well, I only call Ray in Montesano my stepdad in order to avoid the confusion. Although, I consider him my _real dad_ since he was the one who raised me."

"I remember," Christian hums over the phone, sending chills down Ana's spine. "I also remember that you, unfortunately, didn't get to meet your biological father since he died when you were just born. You told me," he reminds her.

Ana nods as she recalls how much Christian already knows about her.

 _It makes things so much easier in case we ever decided to go out.  
We could skip the preliminaries since we already know each other well._

But then Ana snaps right out of it and tells herself that them going out as more than friends is never going to happen.

…

 ** _(Six Weeks Later)_**

"Anastasia Rose Steele."

Christian utters her name like a song, and Ana lights up like a Christmas tree on the other side of the line as she drives.

"No one ever calls me _Anastasia_ ," she remarks in a perky tone.

"Well, they should."

She turns pink, suddenly feeling bashful.

For nearly the past two months, Ana has been looking forward to volunteering at the hospital more than ever every Saturday. Christian hasn't missed a day, and neither has she. Every so often, the two of them have lunch with Grace. Ana and Christian have yet to dine alone.

Ana keeps wondering in the back of her mind if Christian will ever ask her to lunch or dinner without Grace present. With each passing week, her resolve become more solidified that they will be nothing more than just friends. No doubt, Christian has been a fantastic friend to her, especially as she continues to navigate this new life without Elliot _or_ Kate. But something within her lingers.

She secretly wishes that she and Christian were _more_.

 _He's just too kind.  
He'd never want something that his brother discarded. _

Ana is so beyond the point of hope of something more, that she has finally reached the point of acceptance. She's perfectly fine with the way things are between her and Christian.

"Can I ask you a question?" Christian says to her.

"Yeah. Sure."

"I won't be offended if you say _no_."

Christian's words suddenly alarm her. "What is it?"

"I'd really like to take you out to dinner at my club tomorrow night. It's on top of the Columbia Tower. The whole restaurant rotates in a full circle in one hour's time."

Ana's heart stalls, but she pushes through it. "I remember Elliot inviting me to join him, you, and your folks there one time. However, I was very sick that day and couldn't go."

Hearing her say Elliot's name makes the bile rise up Christian's chest, but he fights it. Ana doesn't understand quite yet that the mere mention of his older brother is a trigger for him. _He had Ana first,_ he snarls within before responding to Ana.

"Yeah, I remember that. However, this time, it'll just be you and me."

 _Just you and me?_ Ana lets his words wash over her, and it ignites a desire within, almost to the point of making her feel guilty.

Almost.

"Is this a date?" Ana teases.

"Yes."

Ana is stunned after he responds without hesitation.

 _Finally_ , she exhales. Ana figures that she can either continue her line of questioning and find out how he truly feels about her, or simply say—

"Sure."

It startles Christian how easy this was. He figured that she'd be more hesitant accepting a date from her ex's brother. Christian mentally kicks himself for delaying asking her out for so long. He allowed doubt and the fear of rejection to guide his path, even though the two of them have been enjoying each other's company every Saturday, while also having wonderful conversations nearly every single weeknight on the drive home.

He wants to be certain that she has accepted on her own will. He wants to be sure that the moment he's been dreaming of for twenty-four months and three days is finally going to come true. There is so much unspeakable joy bubbling up inside of his usually restrained heart.

"You'll go out with me?" Christian breathes out a sigh of relief.

"Yeah," Ana beams as bright as the sun. "I'd love to go out with you."

* * *

 ** _(THE PRESENT – The Sunday following Maui)_**

"I don't want to go to my parents' house," Christian growls as he thrusts harder. Ana cries out. "I want to stay home and keep fucking my soon-to-be-wife all day and all night."

Ana's wrists are shackled to the headboard, just as she likes them. Her legs are folded back, and her thighs are pressed against her breasts. Christian holds her steady as he takes all that she's willing to give him.

" _But_ …but we did that yesterday…" Ana barely manages to push out past her moans. " _W_ …we have to see your mom and _d_ …dad…"

"We'll go, but after I make your sweet pussy fall apart at least three more times." He pumps hard. "I desperately want to feel your thick cream completely coating my cock, baby," he growls before picking up the pace.

She begins to quake at his verbal urging and his glorious sensual torture.

" _Oh_! _Oh_! Oh my God!"

"Say my name, Ana—"

 _I just did_ , she instantly thinks.  
 _This man is a living god._

 _And he's all mine._

…

It feels bittersweet for Ana to be back at the Grey family estate in Bellevue for Sunday dinner after being away for so long. However, Christian goes out of his way to make her feel at ease. He knew that it would be a tough afternoon for her. He has yet to let go of her right hand ever since the two of them arrived.

Ana's left hand isn't sitting free by any stretch of the imagination. It's being weighed down by the rock Christian placed there at their new home in Maui. Christian longs for the day when Ana never has to take it off and hide it from anyone. As a compromise, he made her agree to keep her engagement ring on during nights and weekends. She even has to shower with it.

Grace must've praised the bling at least three times over dinner. She made the conscious effort to sit close to Ana at the smaller dining table located in the breakfast nook. Grace occasionally takes the only hand that Christian isn't holding in order to admire the token of her son's love to the girl who is much like a daughter to her. Grace couldn't be happier to see two of her favorite young people madly in love. It's enough to send her spirit soaring.

Meanwhile, Carrick silently waits for a storm to brew. He knows that Christian and Ana have an uphill battle ahead of them. Still, he keeps his thoughts to himself. Grace has already warned her husband about being so negative when they have a ' _fabulous wedding to plan'_ , as she giddily states. Her mantra has been _'either Elliot won't care, or he'll simply get over it'_.

The four of them enjoy delicious food and lots of laughs as Grace tells embarrassing tales of Christian when he was a shy little boy. It doesn't bother Christian in the slightest, especially since it makes Ana smile and laugh non-stop. All of her earlier fears have fallen by the wayside, and she's visibly lighter. Christian feels so much better about the two of them coming here today. He truly missed spending Sunday afternoons with these very people.

After dinner, Grace resurfaces from the kitchen and she sighs deeply. All eyes are on her.

"What's wrong?" Carrick says in concern.

"We're all out of the pralines and cream. And it goes perfectly with my red velvet cake."

Carrick hums guiltily. "About that…"

"Carrick!"

Ana laughs and Christian leans over to her side and presses a kiss to her temple.

"That's my father's absolute favorite ice cream," Christian whispers in humor. "Grace should've known that it wouldn't last long."

Ana giggles. "It's a very good flavor."

Christian flashes her a hooded gaze. "It doesn't taste better than _your_ cream. Nothing does."

Although her muscles in the center clinch tightly, Ana slaps him on his thick muscular lap. He flinches before chuckling. "Christian," she quietly scolds him while desperately trying not to blush. She fails. "Not in front of your parents."

"I'm sure they know by now that we fool around constantly," he winks.

"We don't have to put it on display like that."

Ignoring her objection, he kisses her forehead. "If the whole world can't know yet that we're madly in love, I at least want my parents to know."

Ana's body tightens and she suddenly feels like a lovestruck teenager. Christian Grey is certainly her everything and more. He catches the sentiment in her breathtaking blue eyes and every part of him ignites.

The two of them are so in their own little world that they didn't realize when Grace and Carrick ceased talking earlier. Slowly, the newly engaged couple turns and looks at the veteran married couple at the table, and then discover that they were in fact being watched. Grace could simply die of happiness right now, while the once overly-cautious Carrick finally let's go and smiles warmly at the love birds. _Aww hell_ , he mentally concedes.

"Why don't you go to the market and get more ice cream," Grace orders her husband. "We are not having that cake without it."

"Fine," Carrick groans as he stands and throws his cloth napkin on the table. "I'll go."

"You'd better. You ate the last carton of it," Grace snips.

"Oh gosh," Ana giggles into Christian's shoulder.

…

After Carrick left on his ice cream run, Grace had to take a work-related call in her office. Meanwhile, Christian and Ana begin taking dirty dishes into the kitchen.

"I've always envied your parents," Ana says as she rinses out a plate and passes it to Christian, who then loads it into the dishwasher. "They seem more in love than ever."

"They are," Christian confirms.

"Will that be us?" Ana ponders out loud.

"No. I see it being different with us." Christian turns and wraps his arms around Ana who's preoccupied at the sink. She laughs when he squeezes her even tighter. "Thirty years from now, I still won't be able to keep my hands off of you."

"Are you sure about that?" Ana smiles.

"Without a doubt."

As she hovers a wet plate over the sink, Christian manages to tug her chin towards him and steal a lingering kiss from her mouth. Suddenly, Bernard, the silver fox housekeeper interrupts him.

"You two don't have to do that. Leave it. I've got it covered," Bernard says to them.

"You're sure?" Ana frowns. "We don't mind helping."

"I'm more than sure. You're dipping into my paycheck by doing that," teases Bernard.

When Ana laughs at the handsome housekeeper's joke, Christian possessively takes her by her wet hand and leads her out of the kitchen. "Let's go for a walk outside," Christian murmurs in her ear.

Soon, the betrothed couple are walking hand in hand through the garden and heading towards the boathouse.

"Have you ever been to the boathouse?" Christian asks.

Ana shakes her head. "The boat is usually already out when I see it. I've never actually gone inside there."

The moonlight is especially beautiful tonight. Fireflies dance while playing peek-a-boo, and it sends a charge of anticipation right through Ana's veins. Feeling her shiver, Christian stops, turns, and pulls her body into his. He then lifts her chin and gazes into her eyes.

"I wish I could marry you right here, right now."

Ana laughs. "You've been saying that every day since you've proposed just over a week ago."

He arches a brow at her. "And I'll keep saying it until you're finally my wife. I can't wait any longer."

"So…what are we waiting for?" Ana teases.

Christian lowers his mouth down on hers and kisses her soundly. Soon, her arms snake around his back, and he releases a groan into her mouth. His hands slide up the sides of her face and thread into her silky chestnut hair, and Ana loses herself in their passionate embrace. She knows that as soon as they complete their journey to the boathouse, their clothes will come off. The ache inside of her won't be satisfied until their bodies are naked and as one.

Meanwhile, on the other side of the house, a red pickup truck with the headlights off creeps across the grounds. Instead of pulling up in the circular driveway or into the garage, the truck shifts onto the well-manicured lawn before stopping just behind the house, remaining out of sight.

Once the ignition shuts off, Elliot emerges out of the truck. He doesn't take the front door. Instead, he journeys all the way to the rear in order to surprise his parents, who he believes is probably having dessert on the patio right about now.

Suddenly, something over to the right catches his eye. Whatever it is moving in the shadows. Then, from a distance, he sees two figures illuminated underneath a light pole—one masculine, one feminine. His keen night vision slowly makes out what looks to be his brother passionately kissing his former fiancée, Ana.

The painful realization suddenly causes Elliot to boil in a rage.

* * *

 ** _A/N: Hey faithful readers!_**

 ** _First and foremost, I'd like to thank each and every one of you who have commented in the reviews on not only how much you are enjoying AMT, but how much you loved my very first published novel. Words cannot express how much your support has meant to me over the years as a fanfic writer, and now as a brand-new published author. I truly have the best readers in the whole world! And for those of you who haven't read my new book yet, "A Nocturnal Rendezvous" just went live on Amazon last Friday, and it's FREE on Kindle Unlimited._** **:D**

 ** _As far as AMT is concerned, we are now at the point of no more flashbacks (yay!). So much happens in chapter 12 that it will truly make your head spin. If you're in my Storie Tells All [Storietella2] group on Facebook, you saw some scandalous teaser dialog I posted, which we will see come to life in the next chapter. In it, Elliot meets someone from Christian's past, and the news he gets could possibly put the younger Grey brother at risk._**

 ** _I will try my hardest to get chapter 12 out in the next week or two. However, after that, I am going to have to take an extended break from AMT. Yeah…I know_** **:(** ** _but I have another deadline to meet. However, once that project is all done, I will be back at it with chapter 13. All I ask is for your patience as I continue to juggle many hats._**

 ** _Again, thank you all so much for your support. Until laters! – ST2 (aka TK Cherry)_**


	12. Chapter 12

**Chapter 12** **–** **Your Brother Is The GOAT**

In the middle of kissing Ana, Christian suddenly senses a disturbance in the air. After peeling his lips from hers, he spins the two of them around and catches sight of Elliot marching purposely towards them. While Ana is still trying to figure out what's going on, Christian is already shoving her behind his back.

After Ana peers around his broad shoulders, it takes a few beats for her to realize what the fuss is all about. As soon as it's clear to her that Elliot saw them kissing and is now heading their way, a wave of nausea hits her all over. Although it's dark out, the expression on Elliot's face is visibly irate. He stops just short of seven feet of the couple.

"When did the memo go out, because I obviously missed it?" Elliot snarks angrily.

"Mother has dinner here every Sunday. It's a standing invitation. But you're a few hours late, and of course, you've been missing it for the past few months." Christian is as calm as a cat and cool as a cucumber, which severely unnerves Elliot.

"No, I'm not talking about dinner," Elliot hisses. "I'm talking about _this_ ," he forcefully gestures from left to right at the couple standing before him. He shifts over to one side in order to catch a better glimpse of Ana. However, Christian holds her steady with one arm behind his back and shifts his body in order to keep her obscured.

But what Christian couldn't hide is the beam of light shining from the source above and reflecting on Ana's hand resting on Christian's waist. The size of the ring, massive. The glow, blinding. Its message is so loud and clear that it nearly shatters Elliot's ability to hear or see. Emotions that he never thought he had suddenly rush up to the surface.

In an instant, he sees the past two and a half years play out in his mind like an old movie. In it are things that he wished he'd done differently… _many_ things. He'd heard an old Joni Mitchell song playing in his truck earlier this week that said it best—that you don't know what you have until it's all gone. _Talk about bulldozing paradise and pouring concrete all over the remains_ , he reflected at the time. _That's exactly what I've done._

Guilt wasn't something that Elliot Grey was accustomed to feeling. He knew Ana would never take him back, especially after Kate had foolishly sent out their intimate email exchange. But for some strange reason, he'd somehow worked up a Hail Mary play and planned on re-courting Ana even after six months had gone by.

Kate was simply a moment of weakness for Elliot. Sure, he was always attracted to her. But he was never in love with her. And although he only very recently came to the realization that no matter who he was with, none of them made him feel the way Ana had made him felt, the damage was already done. The bridge was already burned.

But hope refused to go away.

And now… This.

 _God, no. Not this.  
This isn't really happening.  
This __**can't**_ _happen._

 _Christian is with Ana?  
And now Ana's sporting a fat ass ring? _

_The girl that I was supposed to be marrying?_

 _Fuck this._

Elliot is suddenly overcome with rage.

"What?! Are you two fucking engaged now?!" A fuming Elliot takes a step forward, while Christian pulls a startled Ana around and by his side before tucking her protectively underneath his arm.

"Don't come any closer," Christian warns in a dangerous tone.

Elliot releases a quick sinister chuckle out of anger and frustration. "Seriously, Ana?! _Seriously_?!"

"Don't you speak to her," Christian warns again, this time more forcefully.

"I can fucking speak to Ana, Christian!" Elliot strikes back. His forehead and cheeks glow red. "I've known her for way longer than you!" He takes in a few sharp breaths before focusing his eyes solely on Ana. "Ana, seriously?! My brother?!"

Ana's earlier spooked aura immediately subsides, and she very lightly clicks her tongue. "Where's Kate?" she finally says. Those two simple words encompass oh so much.

Elliot smirks at her. "So, this is what this is all about. You're getting back at me for moving on after you dumped me…"

"You _cheated_ , Elliot." Ana is now shaking.

When Christian feels her attempting to step forward, he holds her tighter by his side so that she is unable to move.

"This was something in the works for quite a while, isn't it?" Elliot no longer shouts, but his words are still quite angry and sharp.

"Like you and Kate, you mean?" Ana volleys with indignation.

"Stop bringing up Kate!" his voice raises once more. "This isn't about Kate! This is about _you_ and _me_!"

"Elliot," Christian warns again. This time, he's harsher without the need of elevating his tone.

"What do you mean _this isn't about Kate_?! Of course, it is!" Ana screams back. "And Gretchen…and Laura…and Amber…and Michelle…and Mandy…"

"I'm going to say this one last time. Don't ever speak to Ana again." Although Christian doesn't shout, his commanding voice soars over both Elliot's and Ana's.

An indignant Elliot shifts on the other foot before he massages the stubble on his chin. "You're joking, right? Just six months ago, she was wearing _my ring_ on her finger. So, if you think that I'm never speaking to Ana again, think again, little brother."

"That sorry excuse for a ring?" Christian hisses. "Last I heard, she threw that piece of shit in your face. Not only was that ring itself not worthy to even go on her hand, but the sentiment behind it was absent. You never _loved_ her. You only ever loved yourself. I watched you fuck up the best thing that ever happened to you for two goddamned years. Meanwhile, Ana has always been the best thing that ever happened to me. And I'm never letting her go, so you can fucking forget about us ever breaking up. She is forever mine. You snooze, you fucking lose, asshole."

And because he's taken aback by his brother's words, all Elliot can do is laugh out of frustration. His next immediate reaction is to aim at Christian below the belt, just like the old days, when they were children. "You know, Christian— there's just so much I never knew about you. For example, I never knew that you enjoyed partaking in sloppy seconds. So, tell me, when did my virgin little brother decide to play 'Captain Save-a-Ho' and propose to my ex?"

Ana is in an immediate panic the second Christian lets her go. "No— Christian…" She grabs for him, but he gently but powerfully pushes her away, speaking with just his hooded gaze that he needs her to step aside for the time being. The look in Christian's now dark gray eyes is homicidal, and it shakes Ana to her core.

"Christian," Ana pleads again.

"Ana. Go to the house. Now."

"No! I'm not…"

Elliot scoffs. "What are you going to do? Kick my ass?"

"Yes," Christian responds without hesitation. "Just like I used to—but this time, much worse. You just called my fiancée a _ho_. That's a deal breaker _and_ a fucking face breaker." He calmly begins rolling up his sleeves as if he's a doctor prepping for makeshift reconstructive surgery. "Ana, do what you're told and go straight to the house. I'll only be a moment."

Elliot scoffs again.

"I'm not going anywhere!" Ana cries out, tugging at his massive arm. "Stop this!"

"I did _not_ call her a ho!" Elliot shouts back. "I would never call her that! Dude… you've never heard of the saying?! It's from an old rap song by E40! Ever heard of him?!"

"I don't give a fuck," Christian growls. "I am going to _hurt_ you."

"Since when did you begin carrying a torch for her?" Elliot rakes a hand through his unruly blond hair and laughs out of pure frustration. "And for how long?"

"You don't get to ask that question, Elliot!" Ana shouts at him. "You have no right…"

"Come _on_ , Ana," Elliot smarmily pleads. "Why are you with my brother anyway? Is it for the money?"

Ana's eyes gape wide in shock.

"Look… although I'm not a billionaire like _him_ , I still do well…"

In a flicker of a halogen lamp, Christian springs around Ana with cat-like reflexes, and she screams. He's a nanosecond away from launching his fist and landing a brutal punch to Elliot's jaw when Carrick—who no one saw coming—yanks him back.

 _Whoa, Carrick_. Ana gasps in shock and awe. Although Christian's powerful lunge yanked the older man forward, Carrick was still able to save Elliot's jaw from being pulverized. Not far behind, Grace comes barreling down the landscape of the rear of the house. She nearly slips but keeps on trucking. She's shouting out unintelligible words in a panic. It's not until she's within a yard that her words are understood.

"Elliot! Stop this! Why are you here?!"

Elliot winces as if he's just been burned by his own mother. "What do you mean _'why am I here'_? Am I not invited to Sunday dinner anymore?"

The normally well-put-together Dr. Grace Trevelyan Grey is both winded and hysterical. She's barefooted and her beautiful floral dress is lifted into a fist to keep the hem from getting damp from the rain sprinkled lawn. Her usual immaculate dark hair is now in disarray from running through the veranda and across the grounds the moment she spotted Elliot confronting Ana and Christian. _Thank goodness Carrick got here just in time,_ she thought on her way over.

Grace steps in front of Christian, Carrick and Ana and faces Elliot head on. "What made you decide of all nights to show up now?! You haven't been by for _months_!"

"Like I said, when did you ever rescind my invitation? I thought that I was a part of this family, too? And since when did my feelings stop mattering around here?! You knew the hell I went through after Ana and I broke up— Now _this_?!" Elliot gestures towards Christian and Ana behind Grace's back. Christian remains ravenous under his father's laboring bear hug, while Ana massages her fiancé's arm in a vain attempt to soothe the savage beast.

"What the _fuck_ is this?!" Elliot belts past the lump in his throat.

"Elliot!" Carrick yells angrily, which causes Ana to jerk backwards. She's never heard Mr. Grey raise his voice…ever. He's always been calm and even-keeled. For the first time, Ana is seeing the ever-composed veteran attorney lose his cool.

"No one thinks there's anything wrong with this?!" Elliot bemoans. "I hate to break it to you, but this is _not_ normal! Who in the hell proposes to their own brother's fiancée?"

"Former!" Grace balks.

"He's fucking delusional!" Christian growls.

"Settle down," Carrick murmurs to the son he's still holding in place.

Christian wriggles, letting his father know that he wishes to be set loose. However, he still restrains his full power. The last thing Christian wants to do is injure Carrick. The only thing Christian wants right now is to pummel his brother's face in until his head sinks deep into the dirt underneath his feet.

Grace turns around and looks at Christian before reaching up for his shoulder. "Take Ana home— _now_ ," she orders.

Christian stands there with fire in his eyes, aimed directly at Elliot. He's breathing heat from his flared nostrils. Elliot narrows his eyes in response and then turns his gaze to Ana, whose eyes are only on Christian. Elliot's chest stings, causing him to grow even more indignant.

"Let him go, Dad!" Elliot goads. He really didn't know what he was asking for. He just knew that he wanted to get at least one good punch in. It would be something for the jab in his gut he'd felt when he watched Christian kiss Ana like she was the only woman on earth. _And she just melted right into him._ The very thought causes Elliot to grind his teeth together.

 _Fuck that ring.  
Of course, he had to outdo me two-hundred-fold.  
I hate him. _

_Asshole._

"Christian!" Grace calls out louder, trying desperately to wake him from his murderous trance.

Ana wraps herself around his hanging arm. "Christian… I want to go home," she shakily whispers her plea. "Take me home. Please."

Slowly, Christian peels his venomous gaze from Elliot and looks down at the girl who stole his heart. Still furious, he pulls his arm from her hold and lifts it to smooth down a loose tendril of her chestnut hair. It's as if Ana was Black Widow soothing the Incredible Hulk, making him turn back into Bruce Banner again.

The moment Christian takes her by the hand, Carrick releases his hold. With anger still in Christian's eyes, he presses Ana's hand to his lips, and she sighs with her eyes closed, taking him in for only a second.

"Give me a fucking break," Elliot hisses, just as Christian and Ana set off towards the car.

Christian stills and turns his head to see Elliot. "You stay the fuck away from her, or I will kill you," he seethes.

His words chill Ana to the bone. She knows for a fact that if it ever came down to it, Christian would absolutely do it.

"Christian!" Grace shrieks, horrified. Christian's mother also knows that her youngest son would do exactly what he said if provoked. But that doesn't stop Elliot from provoking him.

"Fuck you!" Elliot spits back. "Don't worry. She'll come back to me all on her own."

"Oh my God!" Ana knee-jerks, beyond appalled by her ex's neurotic level of self-assuredness. "Christian, please— don't even give him the satisfaction," she says as she tugs her lover's arm, forcing him to move again.

Christian continues to stare daggers into Elliot's forehead as Ana pulls him onward.

…

"This is so fucked up! Don't you see that this is wrong?!" Elliot laments at his parents in the kitchen.

"You watch your tone in our home," Carrick said in a steady voice that commands respect.

"No… what's _fucked up_ is all of the crap you put that poor girl through," Grace shakes in anger. Elliot blinks when he hears his own words coming back at him from his sweet and kind mother's mouth. "You cheated on her numerous times while she faithfully waited at home for you. She _trusted_ you. And when you pushed her away, Christian was there for her. It's no one's fault that they fell in love. Your neglect and philandering helped make it possible, so don't you dare blame them."

" _Fell in love_?!" Elliot turns on his heel and frantically paces around the massive kitchen island before stopping midway. "Christian? My own brother? If that's not a fucking slap in the face..."

"Elliot!" Carrick chastises louder.

"…and you encouraged it." Elliot points a finger directly at his mother. "You were the one who pushed her into his arms! You were so hell bent on keeping her in this family, that you'd do it by any means…"

"That's not true!" Grace shouts with tears in her eyes. "Yes—I love her like a daughter. But whether she was with you, or Christian, or anyone else… she would still be like a daughter to me. Who she ended up with wouldn't've changed that!"

Elliot slowly stalks towards his mother. "And see— that's always been the problem. Ana isn't _Mia_ , Mom."

"I _know_ that!" The tears sting Grace's eyes.

"You let the loss of your only daughter blind you so much, that you literally just broke up two brothers and this entire family. Tell me, Mom… how does that feel?"

Grace marches right to her eldest child's face and wags a stern finger at it. "No— _you_ did that. And you let the loss of your sister fester inside of you for so long, that you ruined any chance of happiness for yourself. Ana Steele was the best thing that ever happened to you. Don't deny it."

"I know that!" Elliot shouts down into his mother's face to the point of spitting. "Don't you think I know that?! That's why I'm so fucking pissed off! At me… At Christian… At her… At _you_!" Grace is visibly shaken.

Carrick takes hold of Elliot's bicep so firmly, that he nearly breaks through the skin. "Son, why don't you go home and cool off. We will all talk once you can control your temper. This is _not_ the way."

…

Kate sits next to Elliot on his living room sofa and massages his arm. He springs up to his feet and looks down at her, angrier than he's been since leaving his parents' home earlier.

"You should've seen them. They made me totally sick to my stomach," Elliot hisses.

Kate narrows her eyes. "Who? Your folks?"

"No," he frowns harshly. "Christian and Ana."

Kate scoffs before chuckling. "How long do you think that will last? No way in hell they'll make it to the altar."

"That motherfucker," Elliot rages through gritted teeth. "I've never seen him with a woman…ever. The whole family practically thought that he was gay. But the second Ana and I broke up, he was all over her like fucking white on rice. Why _her_?"

 _He could've snatched up any of my other exes, even Kate, and I wouldn't have even batted an eye_ , Elliot reflects. But smartly, he keeps the thought to himself.

Kate shrugs. "Maybe Ana did it to get back at you."

"That's not her style," Elliot scowls. "She's not a vindictive little bitch."

Kate winces. _And I am?_ Likewise, she keeps her thoughts to herself. "I don't know, maybe she did it to one-up me. She's always felt like she was in my shadow." Kate shrugs at the wild hunch.

Elliot narrows his eyes at her. "What do you mean _one-up_ you? As if Christian is better than me? The only difference between us is that he has more commas than I do. He simply hires people to do his thinking for him. We grew up in the same household with the same two adoptive parents. I put my fucking pants on one leg at a time… just like he does."

"And he's under a tremendous amount of media scrutiny. Meanwhile, you're not," Kate counters.

"My entire family is scrutinized," Elliot strikes back. "The second Ana and I broke up it was all over the tabloids. Whatever a Grey does always makes front page news. You of all people should know that. You're in PR for fuck's sake," he frowns dismissively.

"But he's _Christian Grey_ , Elliot."

"So fucking what." He's visibly agitated, but the moment floats over Kate's head.

"He's a global mogul. He was selected as most desirable eligible bachelor under forty. The second the media gets ahold of the fact that he's now engaged to his brother's ex-fiancée, they are going to go ape shit."

"Fuck." Elliot spins on his heel, turning away from Kate. _She's absolutely right_ , he ponders. Elliot won't be able to turn anywhere without _Christian Grey and Anastasia Steele_ being shoved down his face.

"I need to find a reason for them to break this shit up before it gets out into the media," he says with his back still turned. "I have a feeling that my little brother is up to something. And if not, he definitely has something to hide. I'm going to make it my fucking job to find out what it is." He turns around and faces Kate again. "I'll use whatever it is as leverage. I'm sure he'd do anything to make sure that Ana doesn't get hurt in the process."

Kate gapes at him. "What? What do you mean ' _get hurt'_?"

"He'll protect her by any means necessary. Even if it means letting her go, which is what I want him to do."

"Protect her? From what?" Kate is nearly in a panic.

"From a battered reputation," Elliot chuckles. "What the hell did you think I meant?"

Kate sighs in relief. Meanwhile, Elliot's expression turns harsh.

"Dude— you think I'd actually hurt Ana? Like _physically_ hurt her?"

"I… I didn't…"

"Who in the fuck do you think I am? I _love_ that girl more than anything."

Kate sinks back into the cushions of the sofa. "Excuse me?"

"Kate… you knew this _waaaay_ before we even started fucking around. I'm in love with Ana. She was the one for me. She always will be. I'd never hurt her, so get that twisted shit out of your head."

Now _that_ thought, he just couldn't keep to himself.

As Elliot saunters out of his living room and heads towards the kitchen for a beer, Kate starts to ache all over. She hugs herself tightly and rocks slowly on the sofa to soothe the pain. For the first time, she felt foolish. She'd sacrificed everything for him, not having a clue that he still carried a torch for his former flame and her former best friend.

…

 ** _(The Next Day)_**

"Mylegent—this is Ana Steele speaking."

"Ana."

Her heart stops mid-beat the second she hears Elliot's husky voice piping into both ears.

"I know you can hear me," he sparks. "Don't hang up, or I'll just call right back. And if you don't answer, I'll call your boss, Bill. I'm a big client, as you know. You're going to hear me out, one way or another."

Ana's head falls into her waiting palm. Suddenly, she hears a knock right in the open door. Her eyes flit over in that direction where she sees a concerned Tammy standing there. "Everything okay?" she mouths. Ana nods and mouths back that she'll see her after her call. Tammy nods and closes the door, but not all the way.

"What do you want, Elliot?" Ana groans.

"So, how's it like fucking my virgin little brother? Bored yet? Are you ready to come back to me now for the real thing?"

 _Elliot, Elliot, Elliot… you really don't know anything, do you?_ Ana instantly thinks. Perched on the tip of her tongue are words that would make her ex feel like the most insufficient man on the planet. However, so was every single solitary guy who wasn't Christian Grey. There was no other man on earth like him. After Ana experienced Christian that first weekend in the penthouse, she vowed never to give herself to anyone else. Her body was irrevocably his and it would only answer to him. Christian absolutely owned her. He's the sole key to her lock.

Ana's reflective silence was deafening, causing Elliot to cringe. Although she didn't say the words that were on her mind, he could sense them in her shallow breathing. Every breath she took instead of talking only stirred up his anger.

"Well, maybe he's not a virgin," Elliot backtracks, "but I'm pretty sure he's never fucked a woman before you. I wouldn't doubt it if he's never even seen a pussy before yours."

 _Elliot, if you only knew the masterful way that he can make the deepest part of me—my core—sing, laugh, and cry all at the same time, you wouldn't be saying that. When I'm away from Christian, the very thought of him makes me saturate my panties. And I've never felt so vacant when he pulls his cum soaked cock out of me after we make love every single solitary day and night._

 _I just want to be connected to him forever._

Again, Ana thinks things that she'd never tell another soul, much less Elliot, _the asshole_. Instead, she opts to cut the call short. "This conversation is over," she hisses.

"So, it's true. You're his beard. How much is he paying you?"

Ana chuckles out of frustration. "You're kidding, right?"

"What?" Elliot responds as if he has no clue why Ana is so over it right now.

"Goodbye, Elliot."

…

"Stop acting like a jackass and control yourself," Grace scolds her eldest son over the phone. "And please, by all means, stop contacting Ana at work." Elliot groans as she continues. "Ana has moved on with Christian, and you're just going to have to get used to it. She is not going anywhere."

"So, _I_ have to go?" Elliot flings at her.

"No. No one has to go. You only need to be civil whenever you come in contact with them."

"Do you even hear yourself?" Elliot practically whines. "Put yourself in my shoes. What if your sister got with Dad after you two had broken up? How would you feel sitting across from them at Grandma and Grandpa Trevelyan's dinner table?"

"Well, son, that would be rather difficult to imagine since your father would never screw his paralegal _and_ my best friend concurrently while he's with me. He'd at least have the decency to take the ring away first."

"Ouch," he groans out loud.

"Put on your big boy britches, Elliot. You absolutely did this to yourself."

…

Ana pulls her personal phone from her buzzing purse in the bottom desk drawer. "Dad?"

"Ana," Ray responds in a strange tone.

 _Ana?  
He never calls me that_, she thinks.

"Hey. What's up?"

"You have a moment? Are you still at work?"

"Yep, but I'm pretty much here alone. My office door is closed. What's up?"

"So, when were you going to tell me that you got engaged to Christian Grey?"

 _Fuck_ , Ana sighs to herself as the back of her head smacks against her chair. Christian told her that even though he'd never met Ray, he still wanted to ask him for his daughter's hand in marriage. Ana advised against it. She told him that she'd rather have him and her stepfather meet face to face first before revealing their engagement.

Looks like that was a bad call on Ana's part.

"Well, I was going… Wait—who told you?" Ana backs up.

"Elliot called me. He was very distraught when he found out about it yesterday. Apparently, he was the last in his family to know. Does your mom even know?"

" _Distraught_?" Ana scoffs. "Are you serious? He'd been cheating on me for the entire two years that we were together."

"Sure—but don't you think it's in bad taste to be marrying Elliot's richer younger brother the same year Elliot proposed to you? How do you think that's going to look like to the rest of the world? Look, I never thought of you as a gold digger, but this is…"

Ana hears nothing else after that. Suddenly, a rage that she never thought she possessed rises up in her. And for the first time ever, she hangs up on Ray.

…

Christian holds Ana's hand in the back seat of the SUV as she reluctantly answers the call from her mother.

"Oh my God— I just read your email from earlier. And Elliot's been trying to get ahold of me. What in the world is going on over there?"

 _It figures he'd be trying to poison her against me, too,_ Ana thinks. _That wouldn't be difficult. Mom loved him back when we were still together._

Ana scans over at Christian from the corner of her eye. As predicted, his gaze is right on her. Ever since she climbed into the car, Christian has been urging her to reveal what happened after he heard that Elliot had called her office. He knew it was more than just Elliot lobbing insults about him. Just when Christian thought he'd get a little more insight into Ana's sour mood, she shuts down yet again. This time, with her mother.

"Mom, can I call you back in about an hour?"

"Do you have to hang up because you're still at work, or because you're not alone?"

Ana swallows. "The second one." Ana turns her head the moment Christian tightens his grasp on her hand. She sees the displeased frown on his face. _Oh boy. He's not going to let this go. I don't want him getting involved with my family issues. He has enough of his own to contend with._

"Well, you don't have to say one word," Carla prefaces. "Just listen to me. You and I speak on the phone nearly every day. I gave birth to you. I helped raise you, along with Ray. I like to believe that I know you now like I know the back of my hand. And sure enough, Ray of all people should know you the same. But apparently, he doesn't. I don't care what happened, I completely trust your character, sweetheart. I vowed never to question it again. I know all you went through when you were with Elliot, and then I've witnessed the love and joy in your voice after Christian came along and picked up all of the broken pieces. And although this may be a crazy situation to someone who doesn't know you, it isn't to me. Love is love. You know that I know that more than anyone else."

When her mother chuckles at the irony, Ana laughs as tears begin to streak down her cheeks. _Yes, Carla Adams… the helpless romantic._

"I can't help but appreciate the way Christian cares for you," Carla continues. "I have nothing but the utmost gratitude for him. The Ana now versus the Ana months ago is literally like night and day. Just remember that no matter what, I am on your side—okay?"

Ana is overcome with such emotion. Everything she needed to hear from her mother was just said out loud. Her head drops and she weeps quietly.

"Ana?" Christian hums as he pulls her to his chest. "Baby…"

"Oh—Christian is there!" Carla chortles.

"Thank you, Mom," Ana sniffles. "I love you." Christian rubs her back upon realizing that her tears are happy ones, not sad.

For far too long, Ana didn't think that Carla was on her side. It started way back when her mother divorced the man who Ana considered as her father. It felt like a betrayal of sorts. As a teen, Ana left for Texas against her will to live with her mother and Steve, who was husband number three. Never could Ana have imagined being nearly sexually assaulted that one night Steve came home drunk.

When Ana told her mother that her husband tried to rape her, Carla didn't believe her. She thought that it was a ploy to get her to leave Steve and to reconcile with Ray. Almost immediately, Ana went back home to Montesano to live with Ray. It wasn't until after Steve got physical with Carla, and she subsequently got in touch with Steve's ex-wife to hear all about her horrors of being married to him, that Carla realized that her daughter wasn't lying. But by then, it was too late. Ana had already built a wall that was miles long in between her and her mother. It would take years for Carla to tear it down.

For the first time in forever, it seemed, right when Ana needed her mother the most, Carla instantly took her side. Ana couldn't help but sob in sheer relief.

…

After dinner, Christian caresses Ana's cheek at the breakfast bar as she looks down at her almost empty plate.

"I know I should be happy that you finally decided to eat something," he hums. "Still… I know something is wrong. You're holding back from me, and we both promised never to keep secrets from each other."

Ana looks up with pensive blue eyes as his hand moves down to caress her chin. "I'd never keep anything from you that would betray our love. But I know that once I tell you _everything_ , you're going to want to fix it and make everyone who has ever hurt me pay the price."

"Absolutely," he says without hesitation.

There's a sharp edge to his look, making Ana's fears come to life. She knows that this man would stop at nothing to bring pain to anyone who's ever made her cry, including his own brother. The only reason why Christian hasn't done anything yet to either Elliot or Kate is because their foolish actions helped bring Ana to him.

"This is between my parents and me. I don't want to involve you," Ana pleads.

"I am going to be your husband soon. You're going to have to involve me eventually," he smirks.

Ana smirks back. "For now, _I_ need to deal with it. Just me."

"Your stepfather, Ray… he doesn't agree that we should be together," Christian guesses correctly.

All Ana could do is sigh and shrug. _Of course, he knows. He's not stupid._ Christian lowers his hand down her torso until he clutches her thigh.

"Elliot… he got to him first," he guesses again. The resentment in his voice is undeniable. Ana places her hand over his.

"Let me handle this, okay?" Ana pleads.

"I told you… you should've let me call him in Maui," Christian borderline chastises. "You shouldn't have kept us a secret from him."

Ana's head falls upon realizing that he's probably right. She thought that she was doing the right thing by waiting for the ideal conditions. She now knows that she was only fooling herself to think that there would ever come a time that her being with her ex's brother would ever be 'ideal' to everyone else. Christian's hand moves back up and he forces her chin to tilt up until their eyes meet again.

"I'm going to assume that you know what's best in this situation. I will let you work it out with your folks. But you are going to have to trust me to work things out with my family. That includes me fucking up Elliot if I ever catch him trying to see you."

"Christian," Ana sighs in exasperation.

"I mean it. I have eyes on him at all times now. If he ever tries to see you… that's it. That fucker is toast."

 _Oh boy_ , Ana sighs. "You know, Grace would never go for that," Ana reminds him. "Neither would Carrick. Be rational, Christian."

"There's no such thing as being _rational_ with Elliot," Christian growls. "I've tried. It doesn't work with him. I am going to deal with him the only way that he understands."

Not an ounce of mercy is evident in Christian's furious gray gaze. Ana knows that the second Elliot sets foot inside of Mylegent to see her, his ass is grass.

Ever since they returned from Maui, Christian no longer lets Ana drive herself to work. That was one argument she couldn't win. It was either that or quit her job. Christian knew the moment Elliot found out about their engagement he would resurface playing hardball. Christian was spot on.

These days, Ana is dropped off at work right at the front door and picked up at the very same spot, whether it's Christian with Taylor, Taylor alone, or Christian's latest hire, Luke Sawyer. Christian doesn't want Ana ever getting cornered by Elliot in the parking garage at work ever again. Ana knows that if it ever happens again, all hell will break loose.

"Don't get arrested. Please," pleads Ana.

"I won't."

"And don't send your brother to the hospital," she adds.

"That will be completely up to him," he responds before leaning in and pecking her on the lips.

Ana's eyes widen in shock, silently hoping that no one ever has to get hurt or sent to jail over her.

…

Ana takes Ray's call on the balcony attached to the bedroom. Christian's watching eyes remain on her as she slides the glass door shut for more privacy before rounding the corner.

"Dad…"

"Annie. I really messed up."

Ana gapes wide at her stepfather's confession. She knew Elliot had done a number on him. Ever since the two men bonded over ice fishing, Ana figured it would take an act of God to get Ray to feel any sort of ill will towards his former future son-in-law. _What changed?_ — She wondered.

"How?" The word just slips out of her mouth. She already suspects _how_ — Elliot obviously did something to screw it up, but she still needs her dad to explain why he's suddenly had a change of heart.

"I'm sorry for not believing you. I called Elliot back this evening and asked him to be straight with me… man to man. I told him to tell me if he's ever cheated on you, or if he still claims that you were mistaken. He hesitated. Then I asked him if he started fooling around with Kate after the two of you had broken up. He began talking in circles. That's when I knew that he was peeing on me and telling me that it was raining. You know me, Annie. I'm not one for drama or bullshit."

Ana winces at her father's harsh and unusual word choice. It seems as if Elliot has this innate ability to bring out the worst in everyone.

"When Elliot called me this morning, he was saying all of these things about you. It was as if he was speaking about someone else, not you. Not my Annie. Then he revealed how you were now engaged to his brother only to get back at him. At the time, I thought I had no other choice but to believe him since you never even told me about Christian in the first place."

"I couldn't. There was no way to explain to you over the phone that I'd fallen deeply in love with Elliot's brother without it sounding strange," Ana responds. "I wanted Christian and me to meet you face to face and have that conversation."

"Annie, you should never be afraid to tell me anything. It isn't like you."

"I know," Ana sighs.

"Are you happy? I mean… _really_ happy?" Ray enquires.

Ana sighs again, this time it's deeper and more peaceful. "Daddy, I've never been happier in all my life. I don't have to worry about Christian ever cheating on me. He loves me with all that he is. We're always together if we're not working. I don't have to wonder where he is." Ana chuckles. "He has permanently shared his location with me on his phone. Not because I asked him to, but because he has absolutely nothing to hide."

Ray clears his throat. "I'd really like to meet this new guy of yours. Soon."

Ana sighs in relief. "You will. Maybe we can come over this weekend?"

"Sure. And just know that I'm sorry. Okay?"

Although Ana can still feel the sting from earlier of her own father taking Elliot's side, she can hear the total remorse in his voice right now. They continue their heart to heart discussion. Ana explains to Ray how much more of a man Christian is over his brother, and how Christian would give up everything, including his riches, for her.

"On second thought, I want his phone number. I need to check this fellow out for myself, so you don't end up in another _Elliot_ situation." Although his voice sounds teasing, Ana knows that he's not playing around.

"Believe it or not, I'm a grown up. I know it doesn't seem like it since you raised me, but I can take care of myself. Sure, I've made some dumb mistakes, but I've learned from them. I'll never make them again," Ana assures him. "Christian is different. He's unlike any man I've ever known."

In spite of her claim, she promises her father that she'll text him with Christian's number so they can finally talk. Not long after Ana hangs up, the two men would speak privately for nearly two hours. Ana was certain that neither Christian nor Ray would ever reveal what they discussed.

…

"I'll be just a second," Dr. Trevelyan Grey says as she keys the last bit of her notes in a patient's file. The second she saves it and looks up, the scrutinizing eyes of her eldest child are right on her. "Elliot," she blinks.

Wearing a bitter expression on his face, he closes his mother's office door and takes a seat on the other side of her desk.

"You know… I can't for the life of me figure out why you would be in support of this… _relationship_. It's beyond fucked up."

Grace roughly exhales. "Are you kidding?"

"You tell me, mother. God knows why in the hell you'd approve of Ana using your youngest son as a fucking pawn simply because she's mad at me. Christian is stupid and gullible. He's never even been with a woman before…"

"How do you know that?!" Grace bites back.

Elliot scoffs. "Come on, Mom. If Christian ever had a girl, wouldn't you have seen at least _one_ in the last twenty years? Now, if he swung the other way, I could see why he would've kept that bit of news away from you and Dad…"

"Elliot!" Grace angrily shouts as she shoots up to her feet.

"What's wrong? Do you have something against your son being gay?" Elliot smirks.

"Of course not!" she snaps back. "If he were, I'd love him regardless. But he isn't, so I don't understand why you keep saying that!"

"Mom, get real." Elliot stands to his feet right along with Grace and looks her dead in the eye. He leans forward across her desk, bringing his glare even closer. "He's never taken a girl home to meet you. He didn't go to prom. He didn't have a girlfriend in college. Never has he ever talked about girls. Then all of a sudden, he shows up to the family home, dragging my ex, who's now wearing a fucking boulder on her finger? Tell me that's not bullshit."

Grace gets right in his face. "It's _not_. They're in love."

"Bullshit! She's playing him. Point blank, period."

Grace sighs in pity. "You never even knew Ana at all, huh."

"Oh, I knew her. You should've seen the look on her face when she threw that ring back in mine," he seethes.

"You mean right after she caught you finger banging your secretary?" Grace snaps back.

"I was not…" Elliot takes several deep breaths to calm down. "I wasn't doing that."

"Well, what in heaven's name were you doing with that woman late at night, when you were supposed to be back at the hotel waiting on your fiancée?"

"You mean when Ana was on her witch hunt?" Elliot narrows his eyes. "She'd just gotten back from talking to Steve and his ex. They were filling her head up with garbage. And instead of talking to me, she came up to my office with a fucking chip on her shoulder."

"Elliot, I don't want to hear it…"

"Oh, you're going to hear me. And if you want a bitter, vindictive, gold digging whore to marry your son just so you can keep her as a daughter…"

"That's enough!" Grace screams as she rounds the desk and gets directly in her son's face.

With burning blue eyes, he towers over his mother. "This is all your fault. You're the real reason why Ana and I broke up."

Unable to control herself, Grace raises her hand and slaps Elliot hard across the face. When her hand parts from his cheek, Elliot touches the now heated, throbbing spot. But her severe reaction does stop his tirade.

"If you never mentioned that she reminded you of my dead sister, my head wouldn't be so fucked up. And I wouldn't have cheated on her."

"Get out!" Grace screams at the top of her lungs. Tears stream down her face, smearing her mascara and concealer.

"You tried so hard to make Ana become Mia… to the point of literally breaking up our family. How does it feel being the one to single-handedly destroy the lives of the ones you claim to love?"

Grace slaps Elliot on the other cheek, and before she can scream at him, her door swings wide open. Standing on the other side is Carrick. _Carrick? What's he doing here?_ — Grace immediately wonders behind her stream of tears.

"Elliot, you should leave. **Now**."

There is no question lingering in Carrick's heated voice, and Elliot doesn't stay to argue with him.

…

Elliot didn't have the will to return to the jobsite after his blowup with Grace. Instead, he found himself at a gentlemen's club downing his fifth bourbon. Sometime around drink number three, he meets a dark-haired topless dancer who refuses to leave his side. For some reason, she pays special attention to him, not seeming to care that he doesn't tip her all that well.

At first, he was beyond annoyed that she hadn't moved on to the next customer, even though there aren't that many patrons here at five o'clock on a Tuesday afternoon. Then finally, he looks the dancer right in her eyes. Now he's interested. _She's attractive_ , he thinks. The second he throws a few more dollar bills her way, she straddles his lap, staring him right in the face.

"You're Elliot Grey, right?" she purrs.

"I guess. I'm famous. Or infamous, perhaps," Elliot chuckles from the liquor.

"You're cute," she giggles back.

"Thanks— so are you." Suddenly, Elliot gets another thought.

 _All this shit with my family siding with my ex and my brother is fucking stressing me out._

 _I think I just need to bust a nut right now._

The woman proceeds to give him a spectacular lap dance that makes him rock hard, even after several drinks. When she's done, Elliot's quite impressed.

"What time do you leave work tonight, beautiful?" he mumbles in her ear.

"My shift ended an hour ago," she beams.

Elliot smirks. "I admire your tenacity and your willingness to work after your shift. You're a real go-getter. I could use that at my company." She has the grace to laugh. "Why don't you get your things and meet me over at the hotel across the street," he offers.

The woman doesn't even flinch.

…

In bed, he kisses her all over her neck and bare breasts as he rocks back and forth in between her thighs. Although he completely avoids her mouth, she doesn't seem to mind it at all. Soon, he's helping her out of her leggings and panties. He stands to peel off his leather jacket before lifting his gray t-shirt over his head. When he looks back on the bed, she's no longer there.

He suddenly looks down on the floor and finds her kneeling before him with her palms turned up on her thighs and her head hanging down. Elliot is startled.

"What the hell are you doing?" he frowns, taken aback.

She looks up and searches his dumbfounded blue eyes. "You're not into the scene?"

"What _scene_?" he scoffs. Suddenly, it hits him. _This girl is into BDSM._ "Wait— What are you into…?"

She quickly stands and is extremely apologetic. "I'm so sorry. I figured you were into the same thing as your brother."

Elliot gapes at her. _What did she just say?_

"Hold up," he expresses with both hands. "Wait a minute. What are you…"?

"My mistake," she sighs, now quickly getting dressed.

"Wait… my _brother_?" he says, stifling a laugh. " _Christian_?"

She sighs. "Look… forget I was here. Ignore everything I said."

"No, no," Elliot chuckles. "What did he do?"

She's silent as she resumes re-dressing herself.

"He paid you to be quiet, didn't he?"

She still doesn't say a word.

The last thing Elliot wants is for this girl to leave without spilling the beans. He wants her to stay as long as possible and tell him everything that she knows about his younger brother. _This girl knows Christian? I mean… like_ _ **know him**_ _—know him?_ For the first time ever, Elliot feels as though _he_ never really knew his own brother. Not in the way that his brother knew him. Elliot would talk to Christian about fucking random girls all the time.

 _Why was this girl just on the floor like that—all submissive like?  
Is my baby brother actually a closeted freak?_

It's obvious that this woman is very fearful about something as her beautiful blue eyes radiate with the fear of God in them. The only thing that Elliot can think of is to hit her right in the feels.

 _I need to play on her emotions._

"I'm sure you heard the rumors about my brother screwing my fiancée. Well…former fiancée now," he says matter-of-factly.

She stops short of buttoning her shirt and gapes at him. "Oh no! Are you serious?"

He nods sadly before taking a seat on the edge of the bed. "Yeah. Took me by surprise. You know, she was practically a virgin before she met me." _Well, not really—but she wasn't very adventurous in bed_ , he thinks.

"Wow," she gasps. "Is she that young?"

"She's in her mid-twenties now. I've been with her for three years until my richer, more attractive younger brother swooped in and stole away the love of my life like a vulture."

"Oh my God," she says, looking horrified. In an open shirt, leggings, and a bra, the woman takes a seat right beside Elliot and places her hands in his lap.

"I'm broken, obviously," he says in a feigned sorrowful voice. "I need to know what he did to you. I need to warn my inexperienced ex what he's capable of."

She lets out a deep sigh. "I'm sorry. I'm afraid she's screwed," she responds in a shaky voice.

 _Holy fuck – this is really serious_ , Elliot thinks to himself.

"What do you mean? Tell me," he urges desperately.

She swallows and seemingly chooses her words carefully before speaking. "She's probably already fallen hard for him. Once she's there, it's too late. She'll do anything and everything that he tells her to do. And when he decides that she's just way too much into him, he'll drop her like a bad habit."

 _So, my brother's a player, huh?  
Do tell._

Elliot tries his damnedest to keep his torn expression on full display.

"Did he take advantage of women?"

With melancholy eyes, she says, "He knows exactly what he wants. He never just takes from you. Instead, he makes you want to give him everything. You simply want to please him in every possible way."

Elliot narrows his eyes at the girl who now appears to be personally reliving a moment in time.

"Does he lead girls on?"

"No," she says immediately. "He tells them what he wants from them up front. And you have to agree to it or else… you can't have him."

Elliot can no longer hide his amusement.

 _Holy shit!  
Baby bro be dickmatizing these bitches!  
Damn.  
I never knew he had it in him._

"So, is there a contract of some sort?"

The girl wiggles in her seat. "Look, I've already said too much. I've gotta go."

Then it hits him. "He's keeping you quiet, isn't he?"

"I don't know what you're talking about," she brushes off as she stands. "Look, you never saw me." She resumes buttoning up her shirt.

Another lightbulb suddenly goes off in Elliot's head.

"That's right… A non-disclosure agreement. He makes everyone who works for him sign one."

She stops at the last button. Elliot now has her full undivided attention.

"Look, I don't know how much my brother's paying you now…"

"He isn't," she says, short. Elliot's eyes narrow in surprise. "When I was dealing with him, he bought me a lot of nice things. A new car, clothes, got my hair done all the time, and stuff like that. Once we were done, he covered my tuition so I could finish school. But that was a _long_ time ago."

The news stuns Elliot, who's been in the dark all these years, along with the rest of the world. "Do you know if he's done this with other women?"

"Oh, hell yeah," she adorably scoffs with a quick chuckle. "Most of us girls even know each other."

Elliot laughs, "Really?"

 _This might just be my lucky day._

She reaches for her shoes. "Like I said, you didn't see me."

Suddenly, Elliot pulls out his wallet from his back pocket. The woman sees this and freezes.

"Look, I'm no billionaire, but you've obviously come up on hard times. Especially if you're out here dancing topless and not utilizing your college degree."

Elliot apparently struck a nerve. The girl looks down at her feet.

"Let me help you out. And maybe you can help me out by telling me what my brother's into. I promise never to mention who told me. I just need somewhere to begin. I'm really scared for my girl. Well… ex-girl." _Ex, for now_ , he thinks.

"I'm sorry, but you can totally forget about her until after he's finished with her," the girl says rather frankly. "She's getting the best dick she's ever had in her entire life— probably as we speak." She suddenly exposes her bottom row of teeth in sheer embarrassment. "Sorry. No offense."

Elliot's pride gets hit right between the eyes.  
 _Huh?!_

He immediately kicks into defense mode. He yanks the woman towards him by her wrists, knocking the wind clear out of her.

"Now…how can you say that when you've never had me?" Elliot purrs. Slowly the girl begins to melt into his warm, bare chest.

"Well, I'm obviously here because I was curious about Christian Grey's brother," she says breathily, lookup up at him with doe eyes. Elliot's gaze begins to burn into her, and she gets an oh-so-familiar feeling churning in her belly.

"Let's make a deal. You tell me what freaky shit my brother is into, and I'll give you a little pocket change for your troubles. I'll also give you a little something else to help you better differentiate between me and the younger Grey. Then, I'll forget that we even met and keep you out of what I know will be a very explosive time over family dinner on Sunday."

She smiles. "I like that deal. I get what I want—a taste, and you get what you want." Elliot nods satisfactorily before reaching for her breast and squeezing it through the fabric. She moans. "Just one thing, though. Actually…two."

"What's that?" he says, deepening his grope.

"First, I need you to take that belt off and make me behave."

 _Holy shit,_ he thinks, trying hard to hide his utter shock.

"And secondly," she continues. "If we have a good time, I need you to promise me that we'll do it again sometime."

"Not a problem," Elliot grins with confidence. She leans in to kiss him on the mouth, but he dodges it and kisses her on the cheek instead.

"You're more like your brother than you realize," she laughs.

He gapes at her. "He never kissed you on the mouth?"

"He did, but not all the time," she says with a forlorn smile.

Elliot is itching for his brother's true identity. He wants to know for certain that the golden boy isn't perfect, just like him.

"Hey—you didn't mention your name. I at least like to know which name to call you when I'm coming," Elliot murmurs.

She laughs and still doesn't tell him her name.

…

 ** _(The Next Day)_**

"Miss Steele?" Ana looks up and sees a young and handsome, black suit wearing Luke Sawyer standing at her office door. "Are you all set to go?"

She widens her eyes. "Is Christian still at work?"

Sawyer nods. "Yes. He and T will be home in about an hour. Mr. Grey's staff meeting is running a little behind."

"Alright," Ana responds as she grabs her purse from her bottom drawer.

She immediately thinks about cooking that one rotini dish that she's been wanting to try. And although Mrs. Jones cooks for them during the week, Ana figures that it wouldn't be a problem freezing what she'd prepared for tonight and having it on a different day.

For some reason, Ana thoroughly enjoys cooking for Christian and wishes that she could do it more often. _Am I actually an aspiring housewife?_ Ana chuckles at the thought. _Well, I can't rule it out. I'd love to work on little projects at home and be in charge of all of the cooking. However, I also get major fulfillment in the workplace. The jury is still out, but I'm certain Christian would vote for me to either stay home or work for him at GEH versus working here at Mylegent._

Even after breaking up with Elliot, Ana has yet to throw her name back into the hat for another director position. She's thoroughly enjoying her work-life balance these days. Becoming a director would definitely suck up much more of her time. Right now, she'd rather spend as much time as possible with Christian.

Ana tables all of those thoughts for now as she follows Sawyer through the aisleways. She's surprised to spot a couple of her friends, Tammy, Doren, and Noah, still working after five o'clock. _Or_ _ **not**_ _working, is more like it._ Doren is busy getting up close and personal with April, who quickly dashes away when she catches sight of her boss Ana, who laughs. However, Noah does appear to be on a customer call.

Meanwhile, Tammy gazes at Ana and Sawyer as they march past her. She lowers down her eyeglasses, the ones she only wears when staring at the computer for long periods of time, and peers over the frames. She looks Sawyer up and down as if he's a piping hot dish and she's a starving girl. Ana tries to hide her amusement. Thankfully, Sawyer doesn't notice it.

Soon, Luke is leading Ana outside and towards the black SUV in the guest parking lot.

"Ana!"

Luke is immediately at Ana's side with his hand drawn to his hip, searching the area vigilantly. Ana is startled, knowing that Luke could draw his weapon at any moment. She finally turns towards the voice and sees Kate standing there. She's in a long red fall coat and her cheeks match it, even though it's not all that cold out today. She's also wearing no makeup whatsoever, and her hair is barely in her ponytail. Kate doesn't look anything like her usual well put-together self.

"Kate?" Ana gasps. _Why is she here?_

"Ana." Kate carefully inches closer as Luke continues to shield Ana. "Can we talk?"

 _God, no_ , Ana thinks right away. _Elliot is sending her in his place. I don't have time for this._

"Miss Steele, we have to go," Luke says as he clutches Ana's arm. When Sawyer was first hired, he got the lowdown of everyone to be leery of while on _Ana Patrol_. Kate Kavanagh was at the top of that list.

"Just ten minutes… _please_ ," Kate pleads with all of her might. "That's all."

Ana's never seen her former best friend like this. Run down. Desperate. _She looks…bad_ , Ana reflects. _Looks like she finally discovered what Elliot Grey truly does to your spirit._ Ana could grant Kate the ten minutes that she's asking for just so Ana can hear how miserable her life has become since stabbing Ana in the back. However, Ana is in a completely different mind space. Kate's misery does nothing for her now. Ana is just too wrapped up in Christian to even care about anyone who's ever hurt her in the past.

"I have to go," Ana sighs as she turns to follow Luke's lead to the rear of the SUV.

"Ana! Please!" Kate cries out in despair as she hurries after them to the other side of the vehicle. "I'm pregnant!" she sobs deeply. "And he won't even speak to me!"

Ana stops dead in her tracks before Sawyer can guide her into the back seat.

* * *

 ** _A/N: Well faithful readers! As promised, I am recessing until after I finish my second book. I hope to be done in a short period of time in between days off from work and whatnot. I don't plan on being away for longer than five weeks. If it's longer, I will let you know in my Storie Tells All [Storietella2] Facebook group. Or you can PM me here._**

 ** _Thanks for your patience as I continue to live out a lifelong dream of mine. And if you enjoyed my first published novel, please let me know by joining my other Facebook reader group tkcherryville (aka: Cherryville [TK Cherry])._**

 ** _I hate to tease you just after announcing a short break from AMT, but I need to give you something to look forward to, right? On top of treating his mother like shit, Elliot finds a way to get face time with Ana so that he can try and sell Christian up the river with his new information. Operation: Get Christian and Ana to break up will be in full effect moving forward._**

 ** _Also, Ana is stuck between a rock and a hard place after talking more with Kate. Ana doesn't know if she and Christian should either help her former best friend or leave her ass right in the gutter._**

 ** _I hope you're still enjoying the story. There are plenty of explosive moments underway, so get ready!_**

 ** _Thanks for reading! – ST2 (aka TK Cherry)_**


	13. Chapter 13

**Chapter 13** **–** **Super-Grey Me**

Ana glances at the rear-view mirror and takes in Sawyer's reluctant expression. Apparently, there is a list of individuals who aren't allowed within a certain radius of Ana...unbeknownst to Ana herself. Until ten minutes ago, she thought Christian's security team was just on the lookout for Elliot.

When Sawyer pulled Ana away from a crying Kate earlier, he whispered, _"Miss Steele—Katherine Kavanagh is on the list. I can't allow her to…"_

 _"_ _She's on a list?"_ Ana gasped. _"_ _ **What**_ _list? Who else is on this list?"_

Sawyer froze. _"Ma'am… I'm not at liberty to say."_

 _'_ _Ma'am'_. Ana scoffed at the word silently to herself.

Ana contemplates that earlier exchange in the back seat of the SUV. For just a moment, she forgets about the female now sobbing on her chest. The same woman soaking Ana's expensive top had been her best friend for nearly a decade before betraying her.

Now, the same woman is literally crying out for help.

No doubt, Christian is not going to be happy that Ana vetoed his set rule in order for her to get to the bottom of Kate's tears.

 _So, Elliot managed to knock another one up, eh?_

 _Funny. He went out of his way to make sure I had iron-clad birth control, yet he didn't do the same for these other girls._

 _Why is that?_

As Sawyer drives on, Ana shakes away the disturbing thought and gently rubs Kate's back. Compassion comes automatically for her. Right now, Ana isn't dwelling in bitterness over her former best friend turned foe. Instead, she silently comforts a human being in pain; a human being who has made mistakes.

 _Everyone makes mistakes._

Kate Kavanagh was a lot of things. She was loyal…until she wasn't anymore. She was supportive…until she stopped. But what did not change was that insecure, rich blonde girl who was all too eager to embrace the shy, working-class brunette and help bring her out of her shell. Just as long as Ana stayed _Ana_.

Kate couldn't have guessed that her protégé would surpass her in life. The Kavanagh Media heiress never thought she'd have to be forced to settle for the scraps of a woodworker's daughter.

 _All those damning things Ana had said about Elliot._

 _He hadn't been that way with me._

Kate couldn't imagine any of those terrible things being true—especially since one-on-one, Elliot was kind, funny, and super relatable. He didn't seem like the love-'em-and-leave-'em type of guy, regardless of what others may have said about him.

 _Ana had to be over-exaggerating_ , Kate thought a while back. _He could've had any woman he wanted. Why drag Ana by a string, only to cheat on her?_

Kate simply chalked it up to Ana's unwarranted insecurity. She believed Ana never got over her breakup with Doug. It's why she hadn't dated anyone in many years until Elliot came along. Elliot Grey was definitely too much for her to handle. He was rich, drop-dead gorgeous, and could put a smile on any girl's face with his witty charm.

It wasn't until a few months ago when Kate started to see that Ana was spot on about him. Elliot was everything she said he was. He was the deceiver and cheat that Kate absolutely feared. But most of all, he was an irresponsible prick who refused to grow up. A perpetual bachelor.

 _How Ana even get him to put a ring on her finger is beyond me_ , Kate had contemplated. _She managed to do something no other woman has done, nor would any woman ever do after her_. Kate realized that Elliot was unnaturally fixated on her former best friend. Just when she thought her and Elliot had broken major ground, Ana's name began coming up again. And when the word about Ana and Christian's engagement came out, all hell had broken loose.

Elliot was beyond obsessed with the introverted insurance company call center manager. The very notion unnerved Kate. She so desperately wanted Elliot to see her how he saw Ana. Kate was there back in the days when Elliot cuddled Ana on the sofa in her apartment. Kate knew they were in love. Sure, she had a minor crush on Elliot, but not enough to betray her best friend at the time.

After their breakup, it was a different story.

Ana had gutted Elliot. She wouldn't take any of his calls. She'd refused his visits. So, of course, when he couldn't get ahold of Ana, he resorted to bringing over to his side. Then, one thing led to another, and…

Willing or not, Kate would risk everything on something that wasn't ever really hers. And now, she was regretting the hell out of her choice.

Now, a baby would have to suffer for her mistake.

Not one unloved…but _two_.

The silver lining could be that they'd just love each other—Kate and the baby. But Kate needed to give her unborn a fighting chance with his or her father first before throwing in the towel. She needed to be able to look her child in the face and say with a clear conscience that she at least tried.

This baby is a Grey. Kate believed her child had every right to be in that circle—just like Ana would be after she married _Super Grey_.

Kate needed an _in_.

She was desperate for a faithful advocate.

 _Ana._

She was her only hope.

If only Kate didn't believe that her former best friend hated her guts.

And for very good reason.

"I'm so sorry, Ana!" Kate wheezes in a sob. " _I_ … I…"

Kate has sputtered out innumerable apologies for the past ten minutes. Her tears are like beads of water rolling off Ana like a car that's just been waxed to an immaculate shine. To Ana, Kate's pleas are empty words. Ana figures that if Kate were truly sorry for causing pain, she would've thought twice before hooking up with Ana's former fiancé.

Ana believes the root of Kate's tears stems from shattered expectations. Kate probably believed she'd be the one to ultimately change Elliot.

 _Lots of women believed that. But if Kate would've asked me first, I would've told her that Elliot could not be saved._

 _And now, Kate is amongst the carnage._

 _Kate and that poor, poor baby._

Hearing about the baby is what pulled at Ana's heartstrings back in that garage. When Kate uttered the words _"I'm pregnant"_ , the first person who appeared in Ana's mind was her dear future mother-in-law. Grace still doesn't know about Nala. And now, there's another baby on the way.

 _I'm going to have to tell her about Gretchen, too._

 _Tonight._

Ana's thoughts suddenly tumble out of her. "You're not the only one," Ana murmurs.

Kate's gasping sobs come to a halt. She peels away from Ana's chest and forces her bloodshot eyes to open wide. "What?!" She's mortified. "Did you…?"

Ana soberly shakes her head. "No…he has a little girl. With his mother's former maid."

Kate is desperate to stand but quickly remembers that she's in a moving vehicle. "Are you fucking kidding me?!"

"I wish I were." There is no sign of life in Ana as the brutal facts spill out of her.

"He never told me he had a kid! Did you—"

"He doesn't know about her yet," Ana says calmly. "I found out over four months ago. The mother doesn't want anything to do with Elliot. She doesn't want him to know about her baby." Ana sighs, tormented. "Even though Christian is helping to support Gretchen and her daughter, I…I can't look at Grace anymore and not feel terrible. I need to tell her—especially now."

Ana's eyes gaze at her former best friend's flat stomach before lifting back up.

Kate begins crying anew. "Dr. Grey is going to hate me!"

"No, she isn't," Ana attempts to soothe Kate. It's a lost cause.

"After what I did to you?! She adores you! Then I managed to get pregnant by her son…your ex-fiancé! She is going to despise me! She is going to hate the baby…"

Ana holds up her hand, halting Kate's tirade.

If anyone in this car knows Grace, it's Ana.

"She's a pediatrician. She _lives_ caring for children. She could _never_ hate _any_ child, especially her grandchild."

Ana places a hand gently on Kate's blue-jeaned lap. Without words, Ana's touch lets Kate know that although they are no longer good friends, _this_ is bigger than the two of them. There is an innocent child involved. A child that will be forever connected to Ana's fiancé's family.

"I'll speak to Grace tonight," Ana says. "I'll call you afterward."

Suddenly, the car comes to a halt. Kate turns and looks through the tinted glass. She gasps when she realizes they are parked in front of the apartment that she once shared with Ana.

"Are you coming inside?" Kate tremors from all the tears she shed.

Ana shake her head. "I'm on my way to see Grace. I will call you."

"Can I see you later? We still need to talk. I know there's nothing I can do to make this right…but I miss you **_so_** much, Ana."

Ana clamps down her eyelids for a beat before flashing Kate a resolved look.

"What's done is done," Ana shrugs. "I wasn't with Elliot when you two started sleeping around. However, you did break every level of girl code known to man. There was never any pride with me…only hurt. But just so you know, I'm over it. In fact, I'm _way_ over Elliot," Ana scoffs.

Just then, a shimmer below catches Kate's eye. Her eyes scan to Ana's hand on her lap, and Kate beholds the biggest diamond she has ever seen—and she has seen many of them attached to ridiculously wealthy women. Kate gapes in astonishment for a second before remembering herself.

"Elliot was _livid_ when he found out that you and Christian were engaged on Sunday," Kate says in a hushed voice. "I've never seen him like that. It was frightening."

Ana lifts her hand and examines the material token of a love that eclipses this realm. For her, there is no rare gem that could ever express the true essence of her and Christian's love for one another.

"All he saw was that he lost…and that he lost to his little brother. He never cared about me," Ana muses as she twists the band around her slender finger.

This time, Kate places a hand on Ana's lap. "Not true. He loved you. Trust me. The problem is, Elliot doesn't know how to treat a woman he loves. He's only ever loved one— _you_." Kate releases a long sigh. "I was just too blind to see it. I only saw what I wanted to see. At first, I thought he started to care for me. I thought I was his _Miss Right_. Then, I started to realize that I was _Miss_ _Right Now_. When he walked out on me two days ago, I discovered that he never _really_ cared about me at all. I was the tempting forbidden fruit—the best friend of his one and only true love. Once he had me—once I was all used up and pregnant, he didn't want me anymore."

As Kate's waterworks start all over again, Ana peeks up again at the rearview mirror to catch the look of urgency in Luke Sawyer's face. It appears that they are both on borrowed time. Luke is going to have to report back to Taylor that Miss Steele and Miss Kavanagh had an interaction. At least he was able to witness every bit of it. Taylor and Mr. Grey wouldn't be completely upset that he allowed Ana to talk him into letting her spend time with Kate. At this point, Sawyer knew that Kate didn't set out to physically harm his boss' fiancée.

His job is to keep Anastasia Steele safe, after all.

* * *

"Hey," Ana murmurs the second she answers the call.

"Hey."

The timbre of her lover's voice ignites every cell in her body.

"Where are you?" Christian asks.

Ana closes her eyes and smirks, knowing damn well that Christian knows her every move. Especially since her driver is on Mr. Grey's payroll. She humors him anyway.

"I'm waiting on Grace to join me for dinner. I'm at an Italian place at Pike."

He hums. "I didn't know you were meeting my mother for dinner tonight. I assumed you and I were having dinner at home."

"Last minute change of plans."

After Ana says the words, she braces herself for the _Christian_ _Grey inquisition_. He is extremely thorough whenever he wants information. Ana wouldn't be surprised if he dropped by the restaurant to insert himself into the heart to heart that's set to take place between her and Christian's mother.

"Is it safe to assume you're about to tell Grace about Nala? Nala…and the upcoming addition?"

Ana doesn't even flinch. She knew Sawyer would narc concerning her encounter with Kate. Luke would never put his employment in jeopardy.

 _Or perhaps Christian already knew about Kate_ , Ana ponders. _He knew about Nala way before I did._

"Grace should know. We kept Nala a secret from her long enough. She'd make certain to keep Gretchen safe from her irrational son."

 _Elliot didn't want the child to begin with._ The sour thought churns sourly in Ana's gut.

"Agreed," Christian responds. "Just try and keep her calm. She will flip out the second you tell her. You've known about it for months."

"And you've known for much longer, but I won't tell her that. I'll just tell her that I found out a few months ago and that I was only honoring Gretchen's wishes."

"Just so you know, your doctored words will not make her flip out any less."

Ana draws in a breath at Christian's words. She tries hard to rein in her anxiety caused by the thought of her future mother-in-law's reaction.

"By the way, don't think it's lost on me that you spoke with Kate today." Christian's tone is soft but menacing.

Ana's eyes widen. Her head turns to check the entrance of the restaurant. Grace still has another eight minutes remaining, but she normally shows up before Ana does.

"You're going to have to explain this _list_ to me when I get home. Why is there even a list in the first place? And why is Kate on that list?"

"Kate is not your friend," Christian remarks with a stiff jaw.

Ana sighs as she tries to gather the words to say.

Words that he can't refute.

"You don't stop caring about people who have done you wrong. Kate and I have been best friends for nearly a decade. That time just doesn't disappear. Yeah, she was wrong, but I'm not taking it out on that child. The baby is innocent."

Ana shudders at the jagged breath in her ear. It's a telltale that whatever comes out of Christian's mouth next wouldn't be all that warm and fuzzy.

"Anastasia…at some point you're going to have to learn what matters, and what doesn't. Anything pertaining to either Kate or Elliot no longer matters. They've literally made their bed and have to lie in it."

"Elliot's not even speaking to Kate," Ana snaps. When she turns her head, she lands on several set of eyes that immediately bring her heated attitude back down to simmer.

"He was, just three days ago. What changed, other than her finally admitting to something that she's known about for _weeks_?"

Ana gapes at the news. _How does he know this?_ Instead of asking the question out loud, she continues along the path of defending her actions from today.

"Kate has no one now."

"Bullshit!" Christian growls. Ana flinches at his harsh tone. "She has a rich mommy and daddy. Let _them_ handle it. Tell Grace…but after that, you stay out of it—understand?"

A whirlwind of thoughts begins to course Ana's brain. Never has she ever felt so…juvenile. _Why is he speaking to me like this? Why is it perfectly fine for him to snoop around and dig dirt on others behind their backs, but when Kate approaches me directly for help, I'm just supposed to 'stay out of it'?!_

Ana realizes that Christian's controlling ways are going into overdrive now that his ring is placed soundly on her finger. She resolves to express to him later how important it is for her to maintain a modicum of independence. They may not agree on everything, but Ana believes it's important that her husband-to-be respects her choices. If anything, Ana hasn't decided at what capacity she would be involved with Kate after she lays the information down at Grace's feet.

Ana so happens to look up and spot the woman herself heading towards their table. "Look, I've gotta go. Your mom's here."

Without saying goodbye, she hangs up, silently dreading the storm that lies ahead when she arrives at Escala later tonight.

* * *

Grace is inconsolable. Ana wishes she'd chosen someplace more private to break such news to Elliot's mother.

"How long—have you known about Gretchen?"

"Four months. She didn't want Elliot to know. She was supposed to get an abortion," Ana reminds her.

"My goodness," Grace sobs quietly, carefully dabbing her eyes with a cloth napkin.

For the past ten minutes off and on, Ana had to send the waiter away so she could try and calm Grace down. Luckily, Ana managed to order appetizers before Grace arrived. By the looks of things, they won't be making it to the dinner menu.

"I need to see Gretchen. Do you have her number?"

Ana nods. Taking out her phone, she accesses Grace's former au pair's contact information and messages it to Grace.

"And now…Kate," Dr. Trevelyan Grey pushes out through gritted teeth.

The pain etched across the kind matriarch's face sends chills down Ana's spine. Ana can't help but blame herself for keeping such a secret for so long, even though she decided to deliver the Kate news as soon as she heard it. Still, Ana feels beyond guilty for initiating the breakdown that was now taking place before her very eyes. Ana decides to remain quiet unless prompted to speak.

Ana would be here for Grace. Anything she needed, she would hasten to give it to her. But at this moment, all Grace needs is time. Time and silence to process all of this overwhelming information. Her wayward son had a child, with another one on the way, and he wanted nothing to do with either of them. It's definitely more than too much for Grace to swallow.

A thought crosses Ana's mind. _What if Elliot found out about Nala? He has a beautiful soon-to-be two-year-old little girl in existence. It's easy for him to turn away from a baby he can't physically see…but what about one he_ _ **can**_ _? And what if Nala warms his heart enough to embrace his upcoming child?_

Grace picks up her barely touched glass of water and begins to gulp it down until it's nearly empty. When the glass touches down on the table, she clears her throat, blinking a few times. Her eyes still glisten with the remnants of tears, but they neither pool nor fall.

"I don't know where I went wrong…with him," she trembles. "I've done nothing but love my three children with everything I have…"

Ana cuts her off, reaching for her hand to squeeze it. "Grace, you've done nothing wrong, and everything right. At the end of the day, what we become as adults isn't always predicated on how we were raised. We have a choice to be good adults or shitty ones. Elliot is holding on to some bitterness and he's mad at the world. His choice. That wasn't your doing."

"It's _women_ , Ana. Elliot has no respect for women." Grace's own words choke her up. She clears her throat, pushing the hurt back down her stomach. "His womanizing ways…I've never been so disgusted in all my life. He's an unrepentant lothario. Carrick has never been that way. In fact, he's the very antithesis of that. Where in the hell did Elliot emulate that behavior from?!"

Grace's frantic question immediately brings to mind the nature versus nurture conundrum Christian had once brought to light _. If Christian knew about Elliot's birth parents, was there a chance Grace knew, too?_ This was one can of worms that Ana dare not open. This would have to be a conversation reserved for Christian and his parents.

"We don't just emulate those in our household," Ana says in a soothing voice. "There are external factors. Friends. Life experiences. Misconceptions that we take to bed with us and cultivate. Things we keep within that end up festering. Then there's the macho culture—toxic masculinity."

"Oh…I despise it!" Grace balks. "I dislike nothing more. Men can have feelings, express them, and still be men."

"But when you've operated in a certain vein for so long…"

"When you're a thirty-six-year-old man who still behaves as a teenaged boy," Grace completes Ana's thought with a hiss.

"Yeah," Ana murmurs soberly.

 _A tale of two brothers._

Ana self-reflects on the concept.

 _Two young boys were adopted by the same loving couple. The first grew up relatively normal, while the other came into the door not speaking. It would be nearly two years before he'd speak. He wouldn't let anyone touch him—not even his adoptive mother. If that wasn't enough, this woman… I can't even call her a_ _ **woman**_ _. This—monster comes along and steals away his innocence when he was a young teenager. She snatched him away from his childhood and forced him into a world that was way too adult. She skewed his view on affection. He didn't think that he ever deserved to fall in love, much less_ _ **be**_ _loved._

If Ana were a betting woman, she would have chosen wrong on which of the two brothers would become the most fucked up adult. Christian had every reason to fail, but not Elliot. Elliot was the sociably, funny guy. He didn't have to do anything extra in order to get people to like him. All he had to do was just be himself. There was no reason for him to play the role of asshole philanderer. All he had to do was date responsibly for the rest of his life or find ' _the one_ ' and dedicate his life faithfully to her.

There was no need for Elliot to lie and break hearts while destroying innocent lives.

 _So why?_

 _Why is he doing it?_

The lingering question cannot escape Ana's mind.

* * *

Grace had taken the news about Elliot's secret offspring just as Ana had suspected. Grace was devastated beyond repair. Ana had no clue how the newly minted grandmother would handle the situation afterward. _Would she talk to Elliot first, or would she contact Gretchen and Kate without involving him?_

No matter what happened after the meeting with Grace, Ana had a strong feeling she'd be out of the loop, starting now.

Especially if her fiancé had any say in the matter.

Back home, Ana saw Christian appearing out of sorts. She'd never experienced the cold shoulder with him before. He'd always been hands-on and extremely affectionate towards her. Now, he watched her like a hawk from across the great room, remaining emotionally distant. His gaze was an artic chill with traces of radiating heat all at once.

Ana knew by his stern expression that she was up shit's creek without a paddle.

Still, she wanted her fiancé to see _her_ side. Kate had been there when Doug had broken her heart back in college. And when Ana didn't have a place to go but back home to Montesano, Kate begged her to move into her apartment with her in Seattle after graduation and had her pay very little rent.

The four years adulting with Kate were mostly positive for Ana. And until she crossed the line with Elliot, Kate was a true friend. Regardless, Ana knew nothing could ever be the same between them. Kate will never reclaim the title of "best friend". That title would belong solely to José, followed by Tammy.

In spite of that, Ana couldn't watch her old friend suffer and still have a clear conscience. When Kate soaked up Ana's shirt with her tears, Ana tried to meditate on the fact that Kate was carrying Elliot's baby—a baby that for all intents and purposes should've been _hers_ had everything gone the way it was supposed to.

Before she fell madly in love with Christian.

Ana tried like hell to feel upset by the fact that Kate had gotten knocked up by her former fiancé. But instead of anger and rage, all Ana could feel was sorrow.

 _Kate had no clue who she was literally fucking with._

The chilling thought was more than enough to have Ana thanking her lucky stars that she didn't end up like Kate…or Gretchen. After Ana and Luke had dropped Kate off, Ana's sorrow soon morphed into guilt. Ana was beyond happy with life, and Kate wasn't. Sure, it was Kate's own fault for not being a loyal friend; for not believing Ana's side.

 _If Kate had any idea of the type of man Elliot truly was, she wouldn't have given him the time of day_ , Ana thought.

Grace is literally Kate's only saving grace. Ana can't save her…even if Ana had a choice in the matter.

"I knew nothing about a _list_." The words fly out of Ana's mouth and across the great room. They were an explanation, not an apology.

"There is a list." Christian is clipped.

Ana could tell that he had so much more on his mind, but he was controlling himself. _He is always so controlled_ , she thinks.

"It would've helped if you communicated this to me. If I knew seeing Kate was a problem…"

"Of course, you knew she was a problem," he snaps. "She chose to be with him. As far as I'm concerned, she's on _his_ side…not ours." Christian adjusts his posture on the sofa. The sound of the fabric rubbing against his suit makes a rustling sound. He takes a sip of the amber liquid in his tumbler.

 _Why is he still way over there?_ Ana's nerves are going haywire as she hugs herself. She feels cold without his arms around her. It boggled her mind that she didn't know which way was up with him.

"It isn't about _sides_ , Christian. It's about human decency."

"Tell that to Elliot," he scoffs. " _Human decency_ is non-existent with him."

"And you can't say that Kate is on his side—just like you can't say that Grace is on his side."

"Until now, Kate believed every word that came out of that asshole's mouth," he counters through gritted teeth.

Ana lets out an exasperated sigh. "So did my stepfather…for a time. Elliot says all the right things to get what he wants. It's not like Kate went out of her way to do wrong. He made it easy for her. Almost automatic."

"She's a big girl, Ana. You need to stop being so forgiving and letting people walk all over you."

She winces at his words. For the first time, Christian had spoken out on something that he didn't like about her. It didn't feel good.

It hurt.

 _He thinks I'm a doormat._

After Christian lays down his tumbler, he lowers his forehead into open palms. His hands rise and then curve, raking through his copper mane. _Dial it back, Grey,_ he tells himself. _You don't want to push her away—ever._

In an instant, he stands to his feet and makes long strides across the room until he's seated next to Ana by the fire. He wraps his arms around her, just like she wanted, but she doesn't melt into him as usual. In this moment, she's as stiff as a board.

"Baby—I'm sorry." He plants tender kisses on her forehead, but it isn't enough to sway her. The shock of his prior words radiates throughout her body to the point where she is unable to feel anything else.

Ana twists in his hold in order to get a better look at him.

"You think I'm a pushover for helping someone? For hearing them out?"

"Not _someone_ —Katherine Kavanagh. One of Elliot's many fuck buddies."

"They were in a _relationship_." The words come out of Ana without feeling. It's as if she stated the sky was above and the ground was below. "Then Elliot betrayed her like he betrayed me."

"Ana, don't trivialize this shit."

His words seem harsh, but his touch against her skin remains tender and soft. Ana's too preoccupied in thought and emotion to register the gesture.

"So, you want me to _care_ … Is that it? Should I still be hurt that Kate ended up with my ex? That my ex got her pregnant? Because if I _did_ hurt, that would mean I still cared about Elliot in some way, shape, or form—which I don't. If I can help Kate, I think it says more about me _not_ caring about Elliot's feelings anymore…don't you think?"

 _Nothing says 'fuck you Elliot' like siding with his baby mama_ , Ana reflects.

Christian opens his mouth to speak twice but then stops both times. He can't think of a valid argument to counter what Ana just said. That doesn't mean he's fine with Elliot or anyone Elliot can manipulate getting anywhere near Ana.

He's been keeping a very close eye on his brother, yet he has no idea what's up Elliot's sleeve.

* * *

 ** _(Two days later)_**

"Can I have your job when you're finally promoted to director?" Sherrie says out of the blue with extreme confidence. "You'll be the hiring manager, so all you have to do is just pick me to backfill your last job."

Ana sighs, but she can't get a word out once April begins speaking. "Do you even have to work in this hellhole anymore? Your man's a freaking billionaire."

Ana responds with an eye roll. _Why did I think it was a good idea to do lunch on Fridays with my direct reports?_ She turns to Mike on the bench beside her and silently wishes that everyone on her team was more like him—unobtrusive. The four of them are seated together at a small café on the first floor of Rainier Square Tower. Sherrie and April sit on the other side of the table.

Ana turns back to April. "Hellhole, huh?" She smirks in humor, biting the inside of her cheek. "Are you telling me you don't like coming to your job? If not, we can fix that today."

"No-no," April says in a hurry. "That's not what I'm saying. I like my job…but I _have_ to be here. _You_ don't have to be."

"April…sweetie," Sherrie the Brainiac patronizes her colleague. "Christian Grey is the billionaire, _not_ Ana. Ana is her own woman who doesn't need a man to take care of her. Isn't that right?" She turns to Ana before the final sentence, looking for her approval.

Ana is in total agreement with Sherrie, but she'd never tell her so. She wants nothing more than to kill this conversation with fire and a pitchfork. Ever since Christian's PR people announced their engagement in a press release, everyone has been vying for a piece of Ana. Inquiring minds want the salacious details on how she'd broken the engagement with one Grey brother, only to get engaged to the other.

It's a good thing Luke Sawyer remains by her side. She's been able to dodge the vultures. _Too bad he's not around right now to tell my employees "Miss Steele will not be commenting on the matter at this time."_

Before Ana can think of what to say to derail the _Christian talk_ , the wind is knocked out of her when a pair of hips jolt her closer to Mike.

"Scoot over," Tammy says nonchalantly as she slides her tray next to Ana's.

Ana is flabbergasted. "What…?!"

Doren is more subtle when he scoots in beside April. He greets his girlfriend with a kiss on the cheek. "Ana," he nods nonchalantly.

"This is my team's lunch," Ana sighs out loud, looking only at Tammy and Doren.

"Mylegent —One Team, One Goal: _You_ ," Tammy spews the company's commercial slogan. "We're one big ass team, Future Mrs. Grey."

Everyone at the table laughs but Ana.

"Just remember that the next time I show up uninvited to your team's next potluck without a dish to share," Ana says with a smirk.

"You'd never do that," Tammy counters. "Your morals won't allow you to show up without a fruit salad, at least."

Ana's eyes scan the table and notices everyone trying their damnedest not to look her directly in the eye. She knows everyone's in agreement with Tammy. _They all think I'm some kind of goody-two-shoes, huh?_ She considers the steamy exploits that take place behind closed doors nightly, and most mornings, too, with her fiancée. She wonders if these people would still feel the same way about her if they had a clue about her sexcapades.

Just the thought of Christian's taut and toned figure glistening in sweat and bouncing rhythmically on top of hers sends a charge through every nerve ending in her body. She reaches for her bottled water and takes a long pull.

"When's the wedding, anyway?" Sherrie squints in curiosity.

Ana looks at her for a moment, then down at her chicken Caesar salad while silently praying for a body snatcher to take her away. This feeling comes every time someone dares to bring up her personal life. By no means is she ashamed. One would think Ana would be far too embarrassed to discuss the fact that she is now engaged to her former fiancé's brother. But that isn't the case. In her eyes, she and Christian fell in love fair and square.

She's never been happier, but some things are best not discussed at work. Her husband-to-be is very high profile and so happens to be a huge partner in a major Mylegent initiative. He will probably end up owning a large chunk of stock after all is said and done. SafeDriver is guaranteed to be huge once it hits the market. It is geared to position the insurance giant leaps and bounds ahead of the competition, at least in the automotive category. It is predicted to be so successful, that the heads of Mylegent are already making plans to build their own skyscraper and move out of Rainier Square Tower in the next three to five years.

Ana has always strived for her work to speak for itself, which is why she feels beyond uncomfortable whenever her colleagues chatter about her billionaire fiancé. She fears that keeping Christian Grey's name on everyone's lips makes it easy for them to assume she's being granted favoritism by upper management. In fact, Ana is convinced many coworkers feel that her rumored reconsideration for a director job she once turned down only resurfaced when word got out about her being engaged to Christian.

Ana is beginning to believe that sentiment, herself. Yet, what she fails to realize is that SafeDriver would not be on the table for Mylegent if she didn't work there.

The safety concept only came about when Christian forced himself to think outside the box. Any sort of partnership with Mylegent would be a perfect opportunity to bring him even closer to the woman he loved from afar. Once he got his foot in the door, all he'd have to do is demand that he worked alongside Anastasia Steele. He needed some idea—anything—no matter how small in order to justify partnering with an insurance company. It had to be something that wouldn't make Ros, his VP, question his motive. The idea Christian ultimately came up with ended up being so big, it only took a fifteen-minute pitch with Don Richards and his staff before they all signed on the dotted line.

The ingenious idea that was birthed from one man's desire to get closer to and eventually win over the heart of his brother's then-girlfriend will save countless of lives and save the insured a significant amount in premiums, all while making Mylegent and Grey Enterprises Holdings a _lot_ of money. The concept of SafeDriver is patent-pending, so any other insurance entity who implements anything similar, which they certainly will once the market forces them to, must pay Mylegent and Christian Grey _first_.

"Guys…lay off, would ya?" Everyone but Ana looks up at Mike, who's like the father of the bunch. He rarely speaks, but when he does, it's profound. "You see she doesn't like discussing her private life, so why do you keep bringing it up after she has clearly moved onto safer territory?"

While Sherrie, April, and Doren all hang their heads in shame, Tammy smirks in defiance.

"Listen to Tim Allen's twin. Ana is your boss, so you aren't able to cross that line with her. But _we_ go way back. She's my friend—so leave the uncomfortable questioning to me." She turns to Ana. "So…when's that wedding?"

While everyone at the table bursts out laughing, Ana checks Tammy gently with an elbow to the side. Ana fights a smile while shaking her head as Tammy chuckles. Tammy knows very well that Ana won't bother entertaining her with a response.

"You know I'm kidding," Tammy says with a chortle. She hugs Ana and then whispers in her ear, "No I'm not."

Ana shakes in laughter.

In the midst of the hug, Ana catches a shadow in her periphery. It's lunch hour at the café, so people standing around waiting for their lunch companions is to be expected. But there was something very eerie feeling about this particular figure hovering near her.

Ana turns her head and as soon as her eyes land on the individual, she startles. Tammy releases Ana immediately and looks over in the same direction. When Tammy gasps out loud, the other four at the table turn to the source of her shock.

Wearing jeans that fit him well, a light buttoned-up shirt, and tan work boots, Elliot steps up closer to the table. Although he's endured a lot, no one can tell just by looking at him. He's just as handsome as he's always been. With six sets of eyes all on him, he only focuses on just one. Although his are also blue, hers remain the prettiest blue he's ever seen.

The first thought that comes to Ana's mind is— _how in the hell did he get past Sawyer?!_ The second thought she has— _Elliot is not dumb by any means. He's well aware that he's under constant surveillance, courtesy of his brother._ Obviously, Elliot figured out that as long as Ana remained in the confines of Rainier Square Tower and doesn't step outside the revolving door, he would finally be able to have that moment with her he's been so desperate for. As long as he's not seen or tracked in any way.

"Ana…can we speak in private?" Elliot's voice is kind and steady, although his expression appears a little forlorn.

Her heart races in a panic. If Christian was pissed about Kate, just wait until he finds out about this. Ana would be a fool to go anywhere in private with him.

"What are you doing here?" Ana is frustrated that her words don't come out as sharply as she feels.

"You need to hear me out," he says firmly.

Ana gapes at him while Tammy leans into her. "You want me to call the cops?" she whispers. Ana shakes her head. Instead, Ana grabs her mobile from her purse right next to her.

"Don't do that. You need to hear what I have to say first."

Elliot's tone doesn't sound threatening by any stretch of the imagination. Yet, when Ana looks him in the eye, she feels a wave of nausea. It's obvious that he has something up his sleeve, and it's nothing good. She's pretty sure it has to do with her telling his mother about his one and a half kids.

 _Grace probably ripped him a new one, and he's here to take it out on me._

"I don't _need_ to hear anything you have to say," Ana bites. "You _need_ to leave."

"I have every right to be here," Elliot counters. "This is an office building with many businesses that I happen to patronize. And lest you forget, I am still a Mylegent customer. You can't make me leave."

"And you can't make me listen to you," she hisses her reply.

Internally, Elliot's frustration grows, but he remains calm. "I'm going to ask you one last time… Let's talk in private. If not, I'll just say what I have to say right here and now."

"Whatever he has to say, he can say it in front of us," Doren chimes in with a puffed-out chest, appearing very protective of Ana. He positions himself right at the edge of the bench, prepared to leap up and defend his friend at a moment's notice. Meanwhile, his girlfriend April is nervous. She places a firm hand around his arm, silently praying that Doren doesn't attack a Grey in public and subsequently ruin his life.

"You're a cheating asshole, Elliot," Tammy frowns in disgust. "She's not going _anywhere_ with you."

Elliot doesn't acknowledge Doren or Tammy with even a glance. His sights are solely locked in on Ana. "Alright—have it your way," he says. "Just know that if certain things don't happen soon, I'm going to release some information on _him_ that will change everything. I'm _pretty sure_ you don't want your friends here to know exactly what it is that I know, so I suggest we speak in private as I originally asked."

 _Oh no._ Ana knows exactly the ' _him_ ' that he's referring to. _Is Elliot actually willing to destroy his own brother?! What a deplorable asshole!_ Ana take several shallow breaths as her heart rate elevates.

"Don't listen to him. He'll say anything at this point." Tammy murmurs the words directly in her ear, but Ana can hardly hear anything beyond the ringing due to the blood rushing to her head.

Sawyer suddenly appears out of nowhere, standing just six feet away from Elliot. Sensing the window of opportunity closing in on her chance to mitigate any potential damage her ex may cause, Ana gestures Tammy to let her out of the booth.

Tammy gapes at her. "What are you doing?!"

"Tammy…please," Ana sighs in a plea.

Without further argument, Tammy stands. As soon as Ana slides out, Sawyer positions himself to stop her from getting any closer to Elliot. Ana makes the mistake of taking in all the eyes that are now on them. One baby-faced, red-cheeked young male bystander several feet away has the nerve to take photos of the standoff between her, Elliot, and Sawyer.

Perturbed, Ana turns to Elliot as Luke aims to step in between them.

"You need to leave, Mr. Grey," Sawyer demands.

"Fuck you, dude. I'm not going anywhere," Elliot hisses in protest. "I have every right to be here. So, I'd appreciate it if you and all the other motherfuckers my brother hired would quit following me when I'm within my rights to go wherever I goddamn please. By the way, last I checked, stalking was illegal."

The audible gasp of bystanders is like a knife twisting in Ana's gut. Her employees now know more than they should about her personal life. Elliot appears to have no shame divulging even worse if she doesn't give him the opportunity to speak to her in private.

"Fine. Let's talk," Ana surrenders begrudgingly.

"No, Ana…" Tammy cringes.

"Don't do it," pleads Sherrie.

"Miss Steele—I can't let you," Sawyer says firmly.

Elliot looks venomous, but Ana gently raises a hand to calm him down.

"Luke…we'll be over there in that corner for just ten minutes." Ana gestures to a small table and two chairs at the other end of the café. "You can stand twenty feet away and watch us if it makes you more comfortable. He didn't come here to kidnap me. He just wants to talk."

Luke displays that familiar expression of feeling like his hands are tied. It's the same look he gave Ana when she allowed Kate to cry on her shoulder…except more intense. Ana doesn't need to be a mind reader to know that Luke Sawyer is in deep fear of losing his job if he allows her to get anywhere close to his boss' brother.

"It's okay," Ana reassures Luke in a calming voice. "I promise. If there's a problem, you can break it up. We'll only be over there."

Not on board with this at all, Luke forces himself to stand still as Ana starts towards the corner. As soon as Elliot moves, Sawyer places a firm hand on his shoulder, stopping him. "I need to check him first."

"Are you fucking kidding me?" Elliot chuckles.

"Luke," Ana sighs in exasperation.

"I need to pat him down, Miss Steele, or else I can't allow you anywhere near him."

"This is a fucking joke!" Elliot is outright laughing. "You think I came all the way here to cause bodily harm to the love of my life? If so, you're not too bright."

 _The love his life?!_ Ana shudders at Elliot's fruitless declaration. The eerie silence that follows lets her know that everyone within earshot heard every word of it. _No doubt that will be quoted in The Nooz tomorrow_ , Ana dreads within.

"Elliot." Ana's one-word command for him to adhere to Sawyer's only demand makes him roll his eyes hard.

"Fine," he growls in irritation. Sawyer immediately begins patting him down like a TSA agent at Sea-Tac. When Sawyer's hands arrive below the waist, Elliot is close to throwing blows.

"Dude…you tryna cop a feel of my balls?"

Bystanders crack up laughing, while Ana is back to wishing the ground would open up and swallow her whole. She knows this entire incident will somehow get back to her boss.

 _Surely, Elliot is not done wrecking my life._

 _Now he wants to wreck his brother's._

But if there's anyone less amused with Elliot's antics right now, it's Sawyer. He is beyond irritated and pissed. After completing the pat-down, he pushes Elliot away in spite. His boss' older brother turns around with thoughts of retaliation, but he quickly thinks better of it.

 _Ana is going to hear me out,_ Elliot reminds himself. _After she does, this dickweed will probably be out of a job, anyway._ Elliot worked very hard to finally have this opportunity. Christian has pulled all the stops to make sure this moment never happened. Elliot felt certain that his brother knew exactly what he needed to tell Ana. _I mean…why else would he be so hell-bent on keeping me from her?_

 _Once she hears what I have to say, she will drop him like a fucking bad habit._

 _And maybe…just maybe, she and I can work on fixing us._

 _I miss her._

Elliot walks behind Ana, and Sawyer trails them both at a distance.

When Elliot steps to the small table ahead of Ana in order to pull out a chair for her, she walks over to the other side and pulls out her own to sit in. Elliot narrows his eyes at her in response, but quickly corrects his annoyed expression. Meanwhile, Ana isn't amused by his sudden spell of chivalry. He'd stop pulling out chairs for her on a regular basis a long time ago.

"What do you want?" she sneers.

"You're a very difficult person to reach. My little brother has pulled all the stops to make sure I couldn't come in contact with you. It's as if he has something to hide."

"Ten minutes, Elliot," she groans, reminding him that time is of the essence.

He cuts right to the chase. "Your so-called fiancé…"

"My fiancé," she snappily corrects.

"…is a closeted freak. Did you know about this? He was heavy into the BDSM scene for _years_. He even paid his fuckees to be quiet. Made them sign NDAs and all that jazz before tying them up and fucking them like they had no souls."

Ana groans. "Elliot…"

"He's kept this a secret like _forever_. In fact, he's a trained dominant, Ana. Do you know what that is? Do you understand what that entails? In other words, are you prepared to marry a sexual deviant?"

" _Sexual deviant_?!" Ana is beyond appalled at how judgmental Elliot is being. He of all people should be to first to embrace his brother's sexual freedom.

"Whether you believe me or not, it's all going to come out…eventually," Elliot says with a self-satisfied smirk.

"You'd sell out your own brother just like that? How _dare_ you!" Ana hisses in abhorrence.

Elliot's eyes gape wide. "You already knew?"

Ana swallows, wishing she'd taken her bottled water. "He told me all about his past the night of our first date. Christian has been open and honest with me from the start. I can't say the same for you."

She stops talking when a thought occurs. _There's nothing I can say that would ever make this exchange worthwhile. Talking to him is useless. I need to get ahold of Christian and warn him that Elliot knows. Elliot is planning on blackmailing him. I just know it._

Ana stands to her feet to start back towards Sawyer and her friends.

"Where are you going?" Elliot protests. "You said _ten minutes_. It's been only _two_."

"If that's all you had to tell me, we're done here."

"You really surprised me today, Ana. Hell…all this time, I figured you were uptight. I didn't know you were into freaky shit, or else I would've tried some of it on you." He speaks with a shit-eating grin, but his words sound bitter.

Without thinking, Ana takes three stomps towards a seated Elliot and slaps him clear across the face. A symphony of gasps scatters throughout the café.

 _Why is everyone still watching me?!_ She has zero doubt that the slap will end up on WorldStar.

"He hasn't practiced in years, you asshole!" Before she can hit him again, she forcefully turns on her heel and tries walking away one more time.

"Once a freak, always a freak," Elliot strikes back in a singsong voice.

Taking the bait once more, Ana turns back around, seething. She keeps her voice as discreet as possible. "You have no room to judge. While he was busy growing up, you were busy running trains with Steve on many women, including his _wife_."

Elliot laughs. "Did Christian tell you that bullshit? If so, it's a lie."

"Unlike you, he has _never_ lied to me."

"You just on keep believing that, sweetheart," he smirks in amusement. "And when the truth finally comes out, don't come bringing your ass back to me after your mouth has been all over my brother's cock."

Ana raises her palm to slap him again. She swears she heard someone in the café just yell "Do it!" from a distance. _Was that Tammy?_ Ana wants nothing more than to oblige whoever that was.

"Do it," Elliot goads, echoing the faceless bystander. "I know you want to. You're pitiful…you know that?"

 _He's goading me on purpose._ Fuming, Ana lowers down her hand, not wanting to give him the satisfaction. "Leave!"

"You can't make me," he taunts. "Break up with him, Ana."

Finally, Elliot's true intent comes out. This time, Ana keeps walking and vows not to turn back around, in spite of what other nonsense spews out of his mouth.

"Save yourself, Ana. Dump him now. And do it publicly. It's the right thing to do."

When she's midway to reaching her friends and employees, Ana breaks her own vow and looks back at Elliot. "Seeing about Gretchen and Nala is the _right thing to do_." Elliot looks at her as if he'd just seen a ghost. Ana nods in confirmation. "Yes, I've met her, and she's the most beautiful thing I've ever seen. You don't deserve her. In fact, you don't deserve either of them," she says, speaking of both Nala and Gretchen.

Elliot's shocked expression doesn't exactly reveal what is on his mind. Ana thinks— _Is he shocked that I'm in the know?_ She doesn't even bother mentioning Kate.

As soon as Ana reaches her people, they all leave together as one solid unit.

* * *

Ana is stunned by the realization of Christian beating her home. She'd been calling and texting him all afternoon, but he hadn't responded. Feeling backed against the wall, she ended up texting him with…

 ** _Elliot knows all about your past._**

 ** _I don't know how, but he's  
threatening to bring it out._**

She swore that would get him to call her back.

He never did.

Now, he's marching towards her like a sexy, well-dressed soldier after she surfaces from the foyer. He looks even more pissed than he was when he confronted her about Kate two days ago.

"He had _no_ fucking business in that building!" Christian roars. "Quit your job, Ana. _Now_."

A cloud of chaos has been hovering over Christian's mind ever since he got wind of Elliot barging in on Ana's lunch. He even started looking into buying Rainier Square Tower. _Ros and Marco will want to murder me, without a doubt,_ he figures.

Meanwhile, Christian's brusque demand triggers every defensive organ in Ana's body.

 _First, I had Elliot telling me to dump Christian._

 _Now, I've got Christian telling me to quit my job._

 _Hell no._

 _When will these Grey men ever learn that they can't tell me what to do?!_

The betrothed pair stand toe to toe in the great room.

"I won't," she declares. "I'm not going to be some damsel in distress and retreat to this _high tower_ with no contact with the outside world!"

"If you want to work, you can. Just work at Grey House. It's highly secure there. I have complete control of who's allowed in the building."

Ana laughs at the absurdity. "I've been self-sufficient all my life. I'm not going to stop being that now. I don't care that I'm marrying a billionaire. And I refuse to lose who I am because of Elliot. I'm not going to hide from anyone. Besides, there's nowhere I could ever hide for good. Elliot is your _brother_ , Christian. He's family—like it or not."

Just as she suspected, her comeback doesn't please him the slightest bit. Ignoring his ire, she runs a hand along his stubbled chin. "What exactly are you afraid of? Elliot is _all talk_. He would never inflict bodily harm on me."

"You don't know that!" Christian hisses.

She wants to laugh again but keeps the urge at bay. "You've known your brother for nearly thirty years. If he was prone to violence, you would've already seen signs of it. Elliot has _never_ hit me." Ana pushes aside the memory of hitting _him_ this afternoon. "If anything, Elliot is a psychological terror. Whatever he has up his sleeve is futile. He can't hurt me more than he already has. So, I ask again…what are you afraid of?"

Christian begins pacing a short space in a line in extreme frustration. He stops mid-stride, and his eyes bore into hers. "I just want you to listen and do what you're told. Is that so much to ask?"

"If you wanted a robot, I'm sorry—that's _not_ me. I'm a woman with my own mind. If nothing else, I hope that's what got you to fall in love with me in the first place."

He walks back to her and returns her earlier gesture, touching her cheek. "Of course, it is." He leans in, giving her lips a soft peck.

"Why are you afraid, then? What could Elliot possibly do to me?"

 _It can't be because of the BDSM thing. Elliot needs a willing participant to break their NDA in order to cause Christian's public image any significant damage. The chances of that happening to 'The Christian Grey', the most powerful man in all of Seattle, are slim to none._

"He can try and take you back."

This time, Ana chuckles. It takes no time at all for her chuckle to turn into a full-blown laugh. "Are you kidding me?! _Him_?! Hell no! Never!" Her laughter gradually subsides. Her look of humor shifts into something. Something…smoldering.

"I don't care if it's Elliot…David Beckham, Bradley Cooper, or that guy who plays Thor…I'm _never_ leaving you. One hit of you, and I got hooked. You ruined me for all men, Christian Grey—don't you see?! I'm a fucking mess when it comes to you!"

Christian's earlier scowl morphs into a sexy smirk as he snakes his arms around her waist. He pulls her flush against him and his growing erection. "One hit, huh? So…how are you a mess? Why don't you tell me all about it?" He presses his lips to her collar bone before giving her his full undivided attention.

Ana is almost too hot and bothered to divulge, but she gives it a go, anyway. "No man has ever loved me like you." She struggles to breathe as she says the words. Christian's molten hot gaze doesn't do all that much to help her composure, either. "No man has or ever will touch me like you do. I can't ever go back after experiencing what we have." Ana takes a hand and rakes it across his unruly copper mane. "So, yeah…you have _zero_ to worry about, Mr. Grey. You're stuck with me. Unless you get rid of me."

"Never," he growls with certainty.

Without warning, he shoves his tongue down her throat and crashes her back against the nearest wall. Ana gasps inside of his mouth. She quickly molds into his explosive kiss, returning his fervor. He groans, pressing his rock-hard cock against her belly. Ana whimpers in response.

Christian peels his lips from hers and then places them on her throat. Ana gasps out loud this time, and he grinds the steel bulging from his dress pants into her even more.

"Christian… _please_ ," she pleads breathlessly. She reaches for his fly, but he intercepts both hands and swiftly brings them above her head.

"Patience, Miss Steele. First…I'm going to punish you for being contrary," he murmurs before planting several kisses across her neck and chin.

" _Punish me_? For what?" she protests.

"For disobeying me. For refusing to quit your job."

In an instant, cold water splashes over Ana's libido. She bends her body, moving her face and neck away from Christian's mouth while attempting to twist her arms from his vice grip.

"Christian," Ana sulks, no longer in the mood to play.

"What are you doing?" He is genuinely at a loss by her reaction.

"Let me go," she orders.

He releases her immediately, but reluctantly. "Baby, what's wrong?"

"You can't use sex to punish me, Christian…just because I don't agree with you. Besides, this is _my_ life. You're not going to manipulate me…"

"I'm _not_ trying to manipulate you," he beseeches.

"Yeah, you are," she argues.

Christian forces out a jagged exhale as he swiftly spins on his heels, turning his back to her to ruffle his wild hair with both hands. He shifts back around to face her. The visible torn expression on his face pierces Ana.

"I'm not all the way fixed, Ana. Please understand that. I might do things that are reminiscent of the old dominant me. However, just know that my sole purpose is to always protect you and _us_. There will be times when I'm going to believe that I know best. I _always_ see the big picture."

"And if you have more information than I do, you're going to have to tell me what it is so that I can make the same educated decisions for myself. Otherwise, you're just going to have to trust me to make the right choice with the knowledge I have. Especially if it's concerning _me_ and _my_ life."

" _Our_ life," he corrects with a tender gaze. "You are my life, Ana."

Full of compassion for him, she traces two fingers down his jawline, not taking her eyes off his. "I know… And you are mine."

Christian closes his eyes, savoring her touch. It's a touch that not long ago, he couldn't imagine ever happening. Today, he can't imagine ever living without her touch. He grabs her hand and presses it firmly to his lips.

* * *

 _We still haven't resolved anything._

The loud protest ringing in Ana's head isn't enough to quell her burning lust. The head of her future husband bobs in between her naked thighs. He laps up every bit of her sweet nectar with his tongue while fingering her cunt. Ana's body bows from the bed.

"Christian!"

"I should withhold all the pleasure from you for disobeying me. But I want nothing more than to give you so many orgasms, that you could just die right here in my arms."

Ana mewls. "Oh, God!"

"I'm going to make you come so hard, baby…"

He reemerges from below and hovers over her like a god. He parts her legs even wider and thrusts his cock inside of her in one smooth motion. Ana immediately rolls into an intense orgasm. She screams, but he keeps on fucking her hard.

"Yeah…just like that. Again," he calls out in command.

She cries out, taking longer than normal to come down from her euphoria. But as soon as she begins to do so, she's climbing back up again.

"Ready for the next one?" Christian teases. He raises her thighs up higher and pivots his hips at an angle. He begins thrusting relentlessly at his main target, and her sex begins to seize. "Crumble all over my dick again like a good girl, Anastasia."

Like clockwork, she implodes, screaming out her release even louder than the last.

"Oh fuck," Christian wheezes. "I'm going to come."

As Ana continues to cry out intelligible words, he grunts, shooting his heat deep inside of her.

"I love filling you up," he grunts.

She tries to make a sound in response, but she can no longer speak. He's flipped her over without warning. He pushes back inside of her, still rock hard. Ana is beside herself.

"Jesus!" _Is he on Viagra?! He's unreal!_

"Christian," he corrects Ana as he fucks her harder than before, this time from behind.

Minutes later, she's coming again, and the orgasm wrings out every bit of energy she had left. The stress of the day…the confrontation with Elliot…the argument in the great room with Christian… Everything disappears from Ana's brain in a vapor.

All that remains is _them_.

Even though she's completely spent, Christian pulls out one last orgasm from her limp body. Once she gives it all to him, he pulls out of her and shoots ropes of his seed all over her back. Ana passes out hard.

She wakes up early the next morning, feeling beyond gross with the bedsheet clinging to her back. She rises from bed, wrapping the sheet tightly around her nude body before heading to the en suite to shower. Still naked himself, Christian leans over to one side, watching her in amusement.

* * *

 ** _(The next day—Sunday)_**

Carrick knew calling this family meeting was a terrible idea.

Ana would wisely sit this one out. Tonight, it would just be Carrick, Grace, and their two feuding sons. This would be a face-off of epic proportions, but this thing needed to be resolved immediately.

 _Whatever's climbing up Elliot's ass would have to be removed before the wedding_ , Carrick figures. _We can't have our two boys fighting like this. We're family._

 _I'm going to put my foot down,_ Carrick reminded himself an hour ago. Unfortunately, things never happen the way he plans.

"You fucking had no right showing up at Ana's job and threatening her in front of her friends and direct reports!" Christian practically shouts down Elliot's throat.

"I didn't _threaten_ her, you asswipe!" Elliot strikes back. The more heated Christian gets, the smugger Elliot gets. For some reason, he leaves out the salacious details he tossed at Ana two days ago.

At any moment, Christian expects his brother to expose his BDSM lifestyle to their parents. He would have to be prepared to mention his mother's longtime friend, the sexy blonde fugitive who's in Europe avoiding charges of sexual misconduct with a minor in the States.

It's the very same thing she'd done to him many, many years ago.

 _This revelation would absolutely destroy Grace,_ fears Christian.

"You're probably pissed off that she calls out my name in bed, as opposed to yours!" Elliot jabs.

"Elliot!" Grace squeals in a high-pitched voice from across the table. She's beyond upset by her eldest son's behavior. She thought that being a father would change him. _Knowing he has a beautiful daughter now, with another child on the way, hasn't changed a damn thing._

Christian's anger shifts briefly into an amused smile. "You go right ahead and think about whatever helps you sleep better at night."

"It's kinda cool, little bro, that you're having such a blast with my sloppy seconds," Elliot ribs back.

Carrick holds Christian steady in his chair before he can spring up and charge at Elliot.

"Christian! Cooler heads prevail," his father reasons. "We all need to talk this out like adults, not children. Elliot…that especially goes for you. We are a family. We must always communicate and never resort to insults or violence."

"Elliot, you're a father now, for crying out loud!" Grace fumes. "What sort of example are you setting for your child?!"

"Don't _even_ get me started!" Elliot rants. "That bitch fucking lied and pocketed the money! I didn't even know that kid existed until _you_ said so!"

"Elliot…" Grace attempts to pull the reins but feels utterly hopeless.

"You decided to see Gretchen and handle things _first_ before telling me! How fucked up is that?!"

"Elliot…" Carrick tries his hand at controlling the situation. However, Elliot hones his ire directly at his mother.

"Meanwhile, you're way too busy being a traitor—advocating a relationship that's all kinds of wrong! I was engaged to Ana first! We were together for over _two years_! You shouldn't be passing her around this family just because she reminds you so much of my dead sister! Hell…who's next in line?! _Dad_?!"

Even though he is beyond livid, Carrick refuses to let go of Christian. It's why the two men are unable to stop Grace from reaching across the dinner table and slapping Elliot hard. The sound of the impact of her hand against his stubbled cheek echoes loudly.

"You disgust me! You have absolutely no right to be angry at anyone but yourself! Ana is a jewel, yet you treated her worse than garbage! Meanwhile, Christian treats her like she deserves to be treated! Like a queen!"

"Ma—are you fucking for real!" Elliot shoots up out of his chair. He now towers over his mother in an intimidating way.

Carrick immediately releases Christian and the two men rush to Grace's aide. One false move from Elliot and it will be three-on-one in a nanosecond.

"I'm out of here!" Elliot gnarls. "This family is _so_ fucked up! You should've left me in foster care!"

When Elliot charges out of the dining room, Grace bursts into tears. Both Carrick and Christian comfort her.

* * *

In the kitchen, Grace's face is still puffy from the tears shed earlier. Bernard, the silver fox housekeeper, leaves his boss alone with her son. Christian hugs his mother from behind, kissing her cheek. When he releases her, Grace turns to face him.

"I don't know _this_ Elliot. That's not the son I raised. He used to be so kind-hearted and loving towards me. The man who left here today was spiteful and hideously nasty."

"Whether you realize it or not, Elliot has always been Elliot," Christian shrugs. "It only took something this big to make his true character show. He doesn't care that Ana moved on. He only cares that she moved on with _me_. He doesn't want her around. She's a constant reminder in how stupid he was. He lost a wonderful gift…and that gift is now mine. And I'm never letting that gift go. I don't care how he feels about us being together."

Grace soberly nods in agreement.

"He's always been a narcissistic sociopath," Christian continues. "I remember telling you so the night of my surprise birthday party—the very night I met Ana, but you didn't believe me."

"I never could've imagined an Elliot like this in a million years," Grace shudders.

"Although he may have been kind to you, for the most part, he never really had any respect towards women. He feels that they are beneath him."

His words pierce his mother. She knows without a doubt that Elliot needs professional help now more than ever. _Perhaps this abhorrent personality of his was something he developed as a result of a traumatic childhood and then being passed around foster homes until we adopted him_ , Grace ponders.

"We need to get him into therapy right away," Grace declares. "Can you talk to John?"

"Elliot would never agree to it on his own. He'd have to be forced into it, which is impossible to do."

"I…I can't give up on him. I won't give up." Grace is crying again, shaking.

Christian holds her tight, desperately wishing he could alleviate her pain somehow.

* * *

 ** _(The next day)_**

Elliot arrives at the rear of the seedy bar. First, he turns to scan the area, checking if the coast is clear before taking a seat. He's sick and tired of dodging shadows all the time. He knows that he's being followed around the clock like a criminal.

That girl he'd met—the one who spilled everything about Christian's secret scandalous past—she's no longer talking. Elliot managed to get ahold of her days after their tryst, but she promptly hung up on him after he insisted on digging for more dirt. He immediately called her back, but she'd blocked his number. He would try again the next day from a different phone line. She apparently changed her number. Days after that, he showed up at the strip club to see her. He found out that she no longer worked there.

 _What in the fuck is Christian doing to these girls that have them unwilling to talk and then disappearing?!_ Elliot just can't wrap his head around the power his little brother holds over people. _People are scared to death of this dude._ Elliot idly wonders if he should be afraid, too. However, the thought isn't severe enough to stop him from what he's about to do next.

The older gentleman sitting across from him wears a dingy brown jacket and a worn, frayed Mariners cap. Elliot hands him a bundle wrapped loosely in a yellow envelope, which the man immediately unfolds. Inside is a large wad of cash that he doesn't even bother to count.

"I want you to take that motherfucker down," Elliot angrily whispers. "I don't care if he's my brother. He took something that belonged to me, and I want it back."

* * *

 ** _A/N: Hey, party people! I'm back! It's been far too long. I'm so sorry for the long delay. As you know, I am juggling a full-time job and a publishing gig on the side. Please continue to be patient with me. I will not abandon this story._**

 ** _By the way, I have a new book coming out on Friday. I've been extremely busy with launching that. It's called "On the Other Side" and the topic and release coincide with breast cancer awareness month. In fact,_** ** _A portion of book sales will go to charities helping to fight breast cancer._** ** _Check out the video teaser on my website, tkcherry dot com._** ** _This book is all about friendship, hope, and loving again._**

 ** _Anyway, I don't know exactly what I have planned for chapter 14 of AMT. My notes are all over the freaking place, so I need to take time to make heads or tails out of them. I 'think' Elliot crashes C &A's intimate dinner. _**

**_I will shoot for another update in two weeks. I have one last publishing deadline coming up for the year, so I'll do my best to juggle both projects. If you ever want to know what's going on with updates, either drop by my private Facebook group, "Storie Tells All [Storietella2]", or shoot me a PM. Once again, I will NOT be answering inquiries in the review section, so please don't ask me there. That is your space for feedback on the actual story._**

 ** _Thanks so much for sticking with AMT! Until next time. :) – ST2 (aka TK Cherry)_**


	14. Chapter 14

**Chapter 14** **–** **Hands On**

Weeks ago, Ana begged Christian for the chance to set up their Friday date night, for once. Being that her fiancé is a serial planner, she had to put forth her request way in advance. Once everything was a go, Ana set up a ninety-minute-long couple's massage for the two of them at a swanky spa located inside the Fairmont Olympic Hotel.

The two stand hand-in-hand in the lobby of the high-end spa. As Ana gives the receptionist their names, she peeks from the corner of her eye and catches the smirk Christian is giving her. She turns her head towards him and raises a brow.

"A massage?" he hums.

"I've been looking forward to this."

"You could've told me you wanted a massage, and I would have given you one. You rather enjoy my massages."

"But today isn't just for me," Ana chuckles.

"Right this way," the blonde in the white and pink uniform politely interrupts.

She opens the door and leads the way to the tranquil lounge in the back. The serene atmosphere nearly transports Ana to another world. A dozen loveseats and ottomans line the warmly lit room and face a wall with cascading water. Sounds of a soothing harp and chirping birds play faintly in the background.

"Make yourselves comfortable. Your therapists will be back for you shortly. Care for a glass of wine while you wait?"

"What kind?" Christian asks. Ana rolls her eyes discreetly at her beloved wine snob.

"We have a 2012 top-rated Californian pinot noir…"

"That'll do," Christian interrupts.

"Yes, sir." The receptionist turns to Ana. "Ma'am, we also have white…"

"She'll have the same," Christian answers before Ana opens her mouth.

Both women are taken aback, but Ana quickly regains her composure. When the receptionist looks to Ana for reassurance, Ana smiles. "I'll take the pinot noir as well. Thank you."

The blonde bows before stepping out of the lounge.

Christian takes Ana by the arm and guides her down beside him on one of the loveseats.

"Why did you feel the need to speak for me?"

Christian is taken aback. "You always drink what I order."

"It normally ends up being that way, but still. My voice works fine. She asked me what I wanted."

Although there is love and humor tagged to her gripe, Christian sees beyond it. With concerned gray eyes, he takes her hand and squeezes it.

"Baby, what is it you want? Whatever it is, I'll get it."

"That's not the point. I only want to be heard. Even though I'd like the pinot noir, too," she ashamedly admits.

Christian kisses her ringed finger. "You'll always be heard, Ana. I never want to silence your voice. It's just…I already knew what you wanted. I _always_ know what you want."

Ana's core pulsates at the sound of his sensual tone. "There were times I wanted a massage, but didn't get one." she says breathily.

"When? You've never spoken up to tell me."

She shrugs, teasingly. "Well, you just said you always know what I want. Can't you read my mind?"

"I'm still working out the kinks," he smirks. "By the time we get married in December, I'll know your thoughts before you do."

His words suddenly yank Ana out of their playful exchange.

"December?"

"Yes, December," Christian nods.

" _Next_ December?"

"No, this December. December twenty-sixth, to be exact."

"We didn't agree to a date," she squints, confused. "In fact, I mentioned one time that we should probably set a date, and you said we would. That was the end of that topic."

"If I recall correctly, I told you I'd handle it."

She lets out a sigh. "That's not what you said. You said that we would discuss dates. But first, we'd consult with a wedding planner."

"With whom you meet with tomorrow."

"Yeah—but you and I never agreed on a date."

The blonde receptionist enters the room with two glasses of wine and instantly realizes she'd intruded on a private moment. She awkwardly hands the couple their wine and clears the room once again. Ana is grateful to not have an audience because she has so many concerns crowding her mind.

"You don't want to get married the day after Christmas?" Christian asks. "Is that your only concern?"

Ana clenches her eyes shut and lets out a deep sigh in frustration. For a man who claims to know her needs before she does, Ana doesn't feel all that understood by him. She knows that he means well, but he just isn't getting her.

Next to her, Christian still holds onto her hand for dear life, trying his damnedest to read her. "Ana, if I could've married you two years ago, I would have. Look—I apologize for being so eager, but I'm not wasting any more time on this. I want you as my wife."

"And I want to be your wife like nothing else," she answers with wide-open eyes. "But we need to discuss these things and come to an agreement together. As I just mentioned, I want to be heard. We're an _us_ , Christian, not a _you_."

"I know, baby." With his eyes homed in on hers, he presses her hand to his mouth and allows his kiss to linger.

Ana shuts her eyes to take him in. He's already there in every fiber of her being. She has never felt such warmth and protection until he claimed her. There is no turning back for her, she is all-in with this man. Yet, she desperately wants to reel him in. Being in a situation where he holds all the power and she barely has a say would be the worst-case scenario for her. Ana vowed to herself to never let that happen.

"Nothing is etched in stone," Christian reassures. "All I ask is that you consider the date. I'm certain it's a convenient time for your mother and Bob, as well as any other relatives traveling in from out of town."

"How do you know I want to get married in Seattle?"

"Because—I know you," he smirks.

Ana tries to hide a smile but fails. "We still need to talk about these things."

"Fair enough," he concedes.

"I hope you know it goes beyond just this. We need to discuss everything—always. No secrets, and no surprises. Well…unless it's on a Friday," she winks.

"No secrets," Christian agrees. He leans in and presses a soft kiss to her lips.

"You honestly think December is long enough for Elliot to cool off?" Ana asks.

Christian's countenance hardens. "He can go fuck himself. He'll never cool down, whether we get married this year or three years from now. We can't put the rest of our lives on hold for that asshole. He's not invited to our wedding, anyway."

"He's your brother."

"You honestly think he wants any part of our wedding? Hell no," he sneers.

Ana stops herself from further speaking with the understanding that there is no upside to this. She is marrying her ex's younger brother. Her ex has even gone as far as threatening Christian's reputation if she didn't call off the relationship. Since Elliot interrupted her lunch with her friends and employees a week ago, Ana has been in a heightened state of fear. She dreads the moment the other shoe drops. If nothing else, she hopes Elliot simply loses interest in her and moves on. But deep down, she knows that his pride won't allow him to do that.

"Miss Steele? Mr. Grey?" Christian and Ana suddenly turn to face the talking petite, perky redhead donning the standard white and pink uniform. Standing two feet behind her is a towering, muscular man who is dressed the same. It dawns on Ana that he very much favors actor Jason Momoa. "Welcome! I'm Heidi and this is Kevin. We'll be your therapists today for your couples' massage. Please bring your wine and follow us to begin your relaxation experience."

Christian assists Ana up to her feet and they are soon led out of the lounge and down the hall. Christian purposely walks slower in order to increase the space between him and Ana, and Kevin and Heidi.

"Why are we doing this again?" Christian frowns.

"We need this," Ana whispers. "We need to alleviate ourselves from the stressors happening all around us. You know…stress, the thing we just got done discussing."

"We've already done a mighty fine job blocking out the bullshit," Christian argues. "We don't need strangers…touching us."

 _Holy shit._ Ana freezes in place and her eyes shoot out at the cruel sudden realization. "Oh my God, Christian—I'm so…"

Christian wraps an arm around Ana's waist and plants his chin against the crown of her head. He then lowers his mouth to kiss her there. "It's fine, baby. I'm good with just having my legs and arms worked on. They are a little sore after my workout with Claude this afternoon."

"You sure?" The look of mortification across Ana's face is as clear as the day.

"I'm positive. You've gone out of your way to treat me tonight, and I appreciate that."

Although Ana exhales in relief, she is still wound up. "I can't believe I didn't consider your touching _thing_."

"Which I explained was no longer a big issue for me. It's fine, Ana. I promise."

"Is everything okay?" Heidi calls back to the couple.

"Yes, sorry," Ana answers in a panic. She squeezes Christian's hand and they catch up to the therapists at their designated room.

Inside is a greater level of tranquility. Sounds of an angelic harp and waterfall fills the room, which is illuminated by a warm light. There's a stone wall where an enormous white square-framed flat sculpture takes up most of the space. Just under it is a deep freestanding bathtub, and five feet beyond that are two side by side massage tables.

"Is there an area in particular you'd like us to focus on today?" Heidi addresses the couple.

"Just arms and legs on me. Don't touch anything else," Christian orders. Ana experiences a new wave of guilt, but Christian soothes her by rubbing her back.

"Yes, sir," the female therapist nods.

"You'll be working with me, correct?" Christian verifies.

"Yes," Heidi beams. "And Kevin here will take very good care of Miss Steele."

"He won't be touching my fiancée," Christian says calmly, yet sternly. "Is there another young lady here who can work on her?"

"Christian!" Ana gasps.

"I'm the best here," Kevin smirks. Christian's blood begins to boil at the sight of the male therapist's smug expression.

"He's telling the truth," Heidi says earnestly. "In fact, he has a six-month waitlist. He so happened to have a cancellation today, so Miss Steele is a _very_ lucky lady."

"I prefer that she _not_ be lucky with Kevin," Christian shoots back. "No offense to Kevin."

"God— _really_ , Christian?" Ana laughs in frustration.

"I'm the utmost professional, sir," Kevin speaks up in his defense. "And she'll be on the table right next to you. I would never disrespect you, or your lady."

Ana silently wonders why this man has to defend doing his job to anyone. _Christian is being unreasonable._

Christian addresses Heidi alone. "Who else is available to give my fiancée a massage? If there is no one, then I'll sit this one out and let you take care of Anastas…"

"Oh, no you don't!" Ana bellows. "We are _both_ getting massages, Mr. Grey."

"If it'll make you feel better, Heidi and I can swap," Kevin offers.

"You're not fucking touching me, man," Christian growls.

"Look, I paid a lot of money. We are doing this… _period_ ," Ana chastens her fiancé with her arms folded. "So suck it up, buttercup. We're here to relax and not make these kind folks' lives any more difficult. Can you help me do that? _Please_?"

There are many things Christian would like to say, but not at the expense of hurting Ana's feelings. She worked hard to plan this night for them. The last thing he wants is to appear ungrateful.

 _If nothing else, I've learned a valuable lesson: Never plan an outing that involves other people touching either one of us_ , Ana thinks to herself.

"Fine, you work with her," Christian says to Kevin begrudgingly. "But one false move, and I'll rip your…"

Ana groans. "Don't threaten the man."

"It's not a threat. It's a promise. So, Kevin—if you like your balls, I suggest you don't touch my fiancée anywhere I would."

"But that's everywhere." Ana squints in confusion.

Christian waves a finger as if saying she just hit his precise point.

"I'm sorry," Ana apologizes openly to both therapists. "Please ignore him and do what you're here to do. I've honestly been looking forward to this for weeks." She looks over to Christian who reluctantly bites his tongue. Ana's crestfallen expression finally tugs at his heartstrings, but he is still unable to see through the thick fog of jealousy.

"Very well," Heidi says. "Kevin and I will step out for a few. Please undress down to your briefs and lie face down on the tables. Miss Steele, you should remove your bra."

"Like hell," Christian mutters through gritted teeth.

"Will do. Thanks," Ana replies with a forced smile. The two therapists turn to leave, shutting the door behind them. Ana immediately covers her face with both hands.

"I don't like this," Christian declares, clenching his strong hands around her small waist.

"Tonight is a big fat fail on my part," she groans.

"No, baby…it's not a fail."

"It is," she sighs in resignation.

"We're here. We'll get our thirty-minute massage, then go home."

"It's not thirty."

Christian sighs. "Okay, an hour, then."

"Ninety minutes."

"Ninety fucking minutes?!"

"See—I told you it was a fail," Ana whines. "If I knew you'd hate it so much..."

"No, I don't hate it. I love that you were so eager to plan something nice for us."

"You're always doing stuff. I wanted to take over on a Friday for a change."

"I'll shut up, baby. It's just a massage. It won't be that bad. Ninety minutes will go by just like that." In reality, Christian speaks the words in order to convince himself, not Ana.

"Just relax and clear your head. Forget all about GEH and the family drama. It's why we're here."

He places his hands at the hem of her blouse. "You know what I like to do to de-stress." He lifts her blouse up from her torso. Ana raises her arms for him to tug the garment all the way off.

"We're doing that once we get home after dinner," Ana purrs.

"I've got something extra special for you tonight."

She forces out the tiny bit of air remaining from her lungs. "We've already reach a million, Christian. No more new jewelry."

He lowers down on his knees and removes one of her heels at a time. "I'll never stop. At this rate, I'll be fucking you in two million dollars' worth of bling in no time."

"Christian—it's way too much."

He tugs on the waistband of her slacks. "There is no dollar limit that's good enough for my queen. You are priceless." He slides down her pants and kisses her on the thigh. She moans in response.

"We need to hurry and undress and get on these tables before they catch us fooling around."

He pulls Ana's slacks from her last foot before rising to his feet with her clothes in hand.

"I wouldn't mind if they watched." He feathers three kisses across her clavicle. "Maybe I can teach the highly _in-demand_ and _professional_ Kevin how it's done."

"He's just giving me a massage. _You_ will be fucking me."

"Oh, yes," Christian murmurs. "And I'm fucking you _good_ tonight." He brings his face down to hers, barely touching and hovers, lingering.

"Isn't that every night?" Ana exhales into his mouth.

"And morning."

"Yes."

"Whether you're on your period, or not."

Ana chortles. "You never give me a break…"

An abrupt knock on the door startles them.

"Two more minutes," Christian calls out in his commanding voice.

"Sure thing," Heidi replies before footsteps trail off.

Ana quickly does away with her bra and climbs on top one of the tables. Meanwhile, Christian removes his suit skillfully but quickly. He places his articles and Ana's on a nearby bench. Ana gawks at Christian's muscular behind pressing against his boxer briefs as he completes the task. When he turns to face her, he catches her red handed. Ana licks her lips at the sight of his bulge. Although not rock hard, it's impressive and it makes her body feel a surge of desire.

"Do you like what you see, Miss Steele?"

"Always."

"You'll see more of it—and feel all of it later tonight when we get home."

"Later can't come soon enough."

Christian shrugs with a boyish charm. "You can come sooner than later. In fact, we can leave now if you'd like. I'll cover the bill."

"Nice try, Grey. Get your hot ass on that table. That's an order," Ana winks.

"Yes, ma'am," he flirts back.

The two lay on their respective tables, face down with their backs covered up in a sheet. Heidi and Kevin signal their arrival with a knock before entering.

After a few beats, Christian tenses once the cool air comes in contact with his right leg. Heidi carefully tucks the lifted sheet under his waist and left leg before her hands begin to massage his calf with warm oil. He's impressed that this little young lady has such strong hands.

"Is that pressure fine with you, Mr. Grey?"

"Yep," he says, clipped.

Heidi continues on, even though Christian's frame is as stiff as a board. This isn't the first time his limbs have been worked on by a therapist, but it feels rather odd having it done while his fiancée is five feet away from him. If he were being completely honest with himself, he'd rather it was Ana touching him instead.

Even though the massage feels therapeutic, it's far from sensual. He's reminded that sensuality isn't the reason why Ana planned their Friday night at a swanky spa using her hard-earned money. On top of the stress taking place on their respective jobs, Elliot hasn't been making it easy for the betrothed couple. Christian knows that Ana has been tuned in to his every mood. Even though he doesn't share everything, he's aware that Ana can sense his energy. He knows that she knows he's just as distracted as she is. This special outing is Ana's way of ensuring that the two of them leave their stress here and start their weekend together feeling much lighter.

 _Just relax, Grey._

"How's that?"

Christian stiffens even more when he hears the velvety voice of Kevin.

"It's great," Ana groans.

Christian's skin begins to heat up in anger.

"You have a ton of knots," Kevin says. "How bout we work them out."

 _You're not working anything out of her, asshole._ Christian's thoughts are venomous, but he tries with all his might to keep his ire at bay.

 _It's just a massage. Don't lose your head._

Thanks to a few beats of silence, several deep breaths, and the relaxing sounds of tropical birds and ocean waves piping through the speakers, Christian finally eases up. Heidi does a stellar job in kneading his sore thigh and calf, which were irritated earlier by his strenuous bout in the boxing ring with his relentless, award-winning trainer.

"Whoa!"

The gasp coming from his fiancée makes Christian freeze up all over again.

"That spot was brutal," Kevin chuckles. "You should get treated more often."

Ana giggles. "I know."

Christian's chest rumbles with a roar of a savage lion, but he douses ice water on his rage. _It's just a massage. It's just a massage_ , he chants to himself. _It's just a massage._ This time, a quiet moment does nothing to ease him. His blood is like molten lava. One sudden move will erupt the volcano.

"Oh my God!" Ana cries out in delight.

Without warning, Christian launches off the table, causing Heidi to squeal and jump back. Christian crouches on two legs in his boxer-brief glory. He surpasses overwrought, scaring everyone in the room. Ana pushes up from the table, holding the white sheet close to her chest.

"Get the fuck out! Both of you!" With fiery gray eyes, Christian glares from Kevin to Heidi, and back to Kevin.

"Mr. Grey, please calm down! Whatever it is…"

Christian stops the young woman mid-sentence. "Leave us for the remainder of our time, and I will tip you each double the price of what Miss Steele paid for our massages."

Ana's eyes widen in horror.

"That's six hundred," Kevin says smugly.

"A thousand each—cash. Now get the fuck out!" Christian growls.

They don't ask twice. They skedaddle.

"Christian! What in the…"

Before Ana can finish her rant, Christian pushes her on the table and flips her back on her stomach like a pancake. Her white sheet is in disarray, but she fixes it across her nearly naked body as best she can.

"What are you…?"

"You are never to moan for anyone else…not even _you_. All of your pleasure belongs to me, understand? From now on, I am the only one permitted to give you a massage. In fact, I'm going to add a massage room at our home. Every time you need it, I will be the one to give it to you."

Ana tries to fight back, but Christian is much too strong.

"Just relax," he coaxes.

"Relax?" Ana chuckles in frustration. "I wouldn't be surprised if Heidi and Kevin aren't out there calling the cops right now."

"Trust me, they aren't. They are about to take home more cash in ninety minutes than they ever have in one week. They were more than eager to leave us alone."

Ana lifts her head from the table and watches as Christian saunters over to the shelves to study the selection of oils. It doesn't take long for him to make his choice and head back to Ana's table. To her shock, he yanks the sheet from her back and tosses it on the floor.

"Eighty minutes isn't very long for what I have planned. Therefore, you'll get part one here…the massage. The cherry on top, you'll get at home. Capiche?"

Christian blows her mind once more when he peels off her panties without warning.

"What are you doing?!"

"Relax, Miss Steele. Just relax."

Before Ana can protest again, the soothing scent of peppermint fills her nostrils and weakens her fight. She hears a tiny clank; the sound of a small glass bottle being placed on a solid surface. Christian's heavy hands clap and rub together. Finally, his warm touch connects with her back.

She wants to call Christian every name in the book. She is beyond embarrassed by his behavior and the predicament they currently find themselves in. Their two professionally trained massage therapists were abruptly tossed out of the rooms and prohibited from doing their jobs. Ana cringes at the thought of facing them. She wants to go home _now_ , and she's seconds away from telling Christian so.

Then his hands hit a spot just under her left shoulder blade.

"Oh, God!"

"Your back is a landmine, baby. Kevin was right. I haven't been doing my job. I need to have you on your back less and on your stomach more."

Ana trembles as his hands expertly work out the next knot. "I…I like being on my back, too."

"Shhh," he whispers. "Just relax. I've got you."

Against her own objections, Ana humors her fiancé and lets him have his way. His strong hands work her entire back, and she's become as limp as a noodle. She's always admired his expert touch, but until now, it's always been for pleasure. For the first time, he's touching her without any ulterior motives.

Or is he?

When Ana thinks he's done with her back, she wills him to touch her ass. To her surprise, he goes up instead of down and works her shoulders a bit more before branching over to work her left arm. Her body ignites to the point of panting.

 _Touch me everywhere, Christian. Please._

He massages her right arm, kneading every tendon like a trained therapist. Then he focuses on her wrists and hands.

"You type a lot at work, don't you?" Christian assesses. "Take it easy. You don't want to get carpal tunnel."

All Ana can do is breathe out loud. Her body didn't feel this way when Kevin was massaging her. Now, she can feel a puddle forming in between her thighs.

Once Christian is done above, Ana is certain that he will focus on the parts of her body that she's so desperate for him to touch. He takes a couple of steps down, and his hands graze just under her buttocks. He begins to knead her upper thighs and works all the way down her calves. Ana can't contain herself any longer. She releases a long groan.

"How's the pressure?"

She immediately picks up on the humor in Christian's voice but doesn't say a word. She's breathing hard and moaning at every touch. She's beyond desperate for him to fuck her, but he relentlessly continues to torture her with his expert touch.

Little does Ana know, Christian's eyes are glued to the shine in between her thighs. He knows she's ready, but he was serious about not having time to do everything he wanted to do to her here. Currently, he's on a mission to show her that he's her one-stop-shop. Everything this woman needs, he is willing and able to give it to her himself. He never wants Ana to look outside of him for anything.

 _I could take her right here and now, but I won't. I'm just glad I make her cry out louder than the other asshole that was in here earlier_ , Christian reflects.

He massages both thighs well, while Ana lies on top of the table in a puddle of lust. When he's finally done, he says, "Turn over on your back, Miss Steele. Let's work on your front."

Ana whines. "You're done."

"No, I'm not. I need to work on your front."

She lifts her head, turning it sideways to see him. "I want you. Now."

He smirks. "You came here for a massage, and that's what you're going to get."

"Yes, I came here for that, but you kicked our therapists out. But now, I want you."

"You'll have me. At home. On your back, Anastasia."

The sound of her full name across his beautiful lips adds lighter fluid to her internal flame. Like a petulant child, she flips over. She hopes that the sight of her rock hard nipples and her damp pussy entices Christian into seeing things her way. Instead, he gets to work on her left arm once again.

"God!" she groans in extreme frustration.

"What? Am I not doing a good job?"

"It's too good. Now fuck me."

"Ana Steele, I'm beyond shocked by your lewd behavior," he teases with a straight face.

"Don't you dare give me that, Grey," Ana says through clenched teeth. "You know what the hell you're doing. You're getting me all worked up on purpose. If it makes you feel better, I'm sorry once again for planning this outing. I made the wrong call."

"No, it was the right call. You needed this, badly," Christian says as he continues to press along the length of her arm. "I'll give you another in a couple days. We'll give your muscles a break after this one. We're never letting things get this bad ever again."

"Christian—this was supposed to be for you, too."

"I get sports massages from time to time. Arms and legs only."

"You need your back done, too."

"I'll let you handle that."

Ana smiles. "Okay. I can do that."

"And you will let me do this."

She's moaning all over again when he journeys over to the right arm. Her thighs involuntarily rub together.

"Be still, Ana. Relax."

"I can't!" she whines.

"Why not?"

"Because?"

"Because what?"

"Because… I want."

"You want what?"

Without saying the words, Ana snatches her arm from him and reaches out for his cloth-covered crotch. Christian leaps back before her hand can land on him.

"Stop doing that and give me what I want." Ana's tone matches the desperation in her eyes, and Christian's iron-clad resolve weakens.

"If I give you what you want, everyone in this spa will know it."

"I don't care."

Christian sighs out loud, glances at the clock on the wall, then looks back at his naked fiancée on the table.

"Alright. It's your funeral."

He approaches the table once more and his hands instantaneously cup each of her breasts. Ana cries out in delight. Christian massages them so well, that her sounds gradually become louder. She slowly reopens her eyes and immediately catches the sheer focus on Christian's face. It's both the scariest and the sexiest thing she's ever seen.

 _Touch me where I need you most._ She's trying with all her might to will his hands to her sex. To her delight, his hands slide down her breasts and past her stomach. Her breathing picks up even more, her body practically elevating from the table. When his hand finally cups her sex, she freezes, and he snaps out of his haze of steady composure.

"Anastasia—you're a fucking river."

"Oh my God, Christian…I'm so horny."

"Are you, baby?"

She nods, "Yes— _please_ …. I need you."

With his eyes locked on hers, he steps back and pulls down his boxer briefs. His rock hard cock springs free and Ana's heart slams against her chest.

"And have me, you shall," he croons.

He climbs on the table with her and spreads her legs with his knees. He leans down on top of her and kisses her neck. He slowly slides into her, and she mewls. When she bucks back, he rises and pins her thighs to the table. Soon, they are rocking it. Ana cries out in pleasure, and he proceeds to ride her rapid orgasm right into the next.

"Fuck…you're coming all over this cock so hard, baby. You wanted it _bad_ , didn't you?"

"Yes! Oh my God!"

"Come again, beautiful."

For just a split second, Ana has thoughts of them breaking the table into many pieces. However, the thought is a fleeting one. She wraps her legs tightly around his waist and her arms around his neck, forcing them to be closer than ever.

"Fuck me, Christian… Fuck me… Oh God!"

Devoid of self-control, Ana pulls Christian down to her and forcefully takes possession of his mouth. Fueled from both the intoxicating taste and feel of him, Ana loses herself. In spite of their ravenous lip lock, Christian's punishing pace does not relent. It doesn't take long for Ana to orgasm much harder the second time. As if being gagged, she screams inside his mouth.

It would take one more climax from her for Christian to finally release all that he has inside of her.

* * *

A smug smile teases Christian's lips as he sits across the table from Ana at dinner. The cacophony of clinking glasses and light chatter fills the restaurant, but it simply fades into the background. The only thing that matters to him is the woman hiding her mouth under her left hand that shines with his diamond. There was a time where she wouldn't wear it in public. Now, there's nothing to hide. The world knows that Christian Grey and Anastasia Steele are engaged to be married.

Even though the engagement ring is literally _out of the closet_ , it also serves as a nagging reminder to Christian that the love of his life is still _Anastasia Steele_ and not _Anastasia Grey_. If he could gas up Charlie Tango, his helicopter, right now and take them to Vegas, he would. However, he understands how important it is to have family present when the two of them exchange vows.

 _It would break both Grace's and Carla's hearts if we were to elope. It's the last thing I want, especially after what my mother had to endure, thanks to that asshole brother of mine._

"Everyone was giving us crazy looks the second we walked out of that massage room," Ana giggles.

Christian emerges from his cloud of thought and is thrust back into the moment. His expression is that of a mischievous young boy.

"They knew what we were up to in there," Ana adds with a coy smile. "Luckily, Heidi and Kevin were thrilled by the tip you'd left them."

"If I correctly recall, you got more than just the tip," he says with one brow raised.

Ana blushes as red as the wine in the glass that she gently swishes around on the table. Christian breaks off a piece of bread from the loaf and dips it into the olive oil and pepper dish placed in between them. Ana had made reservations at their favorite Italian spot following their massage. A massage that she'll never forget.

"Thank you for taking charge this Friday."

Ana rolls her eyes in response. "In spite of how good things turned out, my plan was still a bust."

Christian quickly looks around before placing his hands on the table and stealthily leans towards her. "I'm going to bust again inside your pussy," he says with a deadly whisper.

With just her eyes, Ana scolds him. Sitting back in his seat, Christian folds his arms.

"You know I love talking dirty to you," he says. "Do you have a problem with that?"

Her blush from earlier returns. "You know I don't. I love it when you talk dirty, too."

Christian reaches for her thigh underneath the table. She trembles on impact. They are interrupted when the waitstaff of four swoops in to take away the salad and soup dishes and bring in the piping hot pasta and steak entrees. The main waiter waits for Christian to cut into his steak and nod his approval. When the couple is left alone once more, Christian holds out his wine glass to toast Ana a second time tonight.

"To us. Always and forever."

"Always. And forever."

Ana shines brighter than the sun as she clinks glasses with her fiancé. When Christian is mid-smile, something behind Ana catches his eye and a scowl immediately takes form. The sudden severe change of mood triggers Ana to turn behind her just in time to catch Elliot approaching them. When Christian readies to stand, Ana begs him with her eyes and a gentle tap of her heel to his foot to stay seated. When Christian doesn't look at her, she uses her voice.

"Don't cause a scene. All we have to do is tell the waiter to have security escort him away."

Elliot positions himself front and center, just where their waiter stood when he first introduced himself to the couple. When Christian's glare shifts into a maniacal grimace, a flash of anger hits Elliot. _He has no clue that I have the power to destroy his entire world. If he knew what I knew, he wouldn't look like such a smug asshole._

"What are you doing here?" Ana spits out at Elliot.

"Before you open your fat trap," Christian starts at his brother, "just know that I know what you've been up to. I'm not dumb, asshole. Keep it up. We'll be filing that restraining order very soon."

Ana gasps. "Restraining order?" The two men are in the midst of an intense stare-down, not one turning to view the stunned look on Ana's face.

"Have you bothered telling her _everything_ about your past, little brother?"

"You obviously know something," Christian lobs back. "Why don't you just come out and say it."

"You already said what you needed to say when you interrupted my work lunch," Ana interjects, shooting a lasered gaze through the side of Elliot's face.

"By the way, that's the last time you'll be allowed in that building. I've taken care of that," Christian says matter-of-factly.

"Keeping me away from public property? I don't fucking think so," Elliot laughs.

Christian casually cuts out another piece of steak. "The University of Washington owns Rainier Tower. I've been a top donor for the past few years. I pulled some strings. You are no longer welcome on the premises."

Ignoring Christian, Elliot focuses on Ana. "You know that he was a dom. He still fucking might be, for all we know. But did you know that he paid for pussy? Yeah… All of those bitches he was fucking—he paid them to keep quiet. Made them all sign NDAs. They're disappearing left and right. You should be very afraid of this man."

"I know about his past, Elliot," Ana replies in exhaustion. "We've gone through this. It was the first thing he told me. We don't keep secrets."

"He's paying these bitches' way through school…"

"One is a doctor, one is a lawyer, one is an artist," Ana runs down. "Yes…I know."

Elliot's eyes open wide in total shock. "And you're staying with him? Fuck—if you two aren't a couple of freaks." He forces out a laugh, but it's insincere.

"Get the fuck out, or I'll help you." Christian's self-composed demeanor from earlier is now gone.

Elliot doesn't stop laughing. "I could just touch you on the chest right now, and you'll start crying like a bitch." Ana gasps in shock at his gumption.

"I've come close to killing you more than once. If we fight again, our parents won't be around to pull me off of you. Is your existence that miserable for you to want to take that chance?"

"Christian!" Ana scolds, flabbergasted.

"You're going to wish you were dead when I'm done with you, little brother. And if not, Ana will wish you were," Elliot answers with a sinister smile. As Christian rises, Elliot turns on his heel and leaves.

Ana stands, reaches across the table, and grabs his wrist. "Sit down. Stay."

"That fucker!" Christian growls after the two sit back down.

"You're giving him exactly what he wants. Never let him see you angry."

"Fuck him. Wait… Don't you ever fuck him—or anyone else, for that matter. Only me."

Ana rolls her eyes. "Not even in a million years. I don't know what he's trying to prove."

"He's a sore loser. He doesn't care who haves you. As long as it isn't me."

Ana looks down at her pasta alfredo, unable to garner up enough of an appetite to eat. Instead, she looks back at Christian. "What did he mean by touching your chest?"

"The no-touching thing."

Ana feels that same pang of hurt she felt at the spa earlier. His haphephobia continues to escape her brain. It's something she has never dwelled on because he has never had a problem with her touching him everywhere. The cruel revelations of today serve as the rudest of awakenings for Ana.

Sensing her guilt, Christian carefully reaches across the table and grabs her hand. "Baby, you know it's something that I struggled with. We've talked about this."

"I know."

"And I told you that you helped cure me."

Holding back tears, Ana tilts her head sideways. "But are you cured?"

"Before you, I wouldn't let anyone touch me. As a child, I wouldn't allow Grace to wash my hair. I've come a long way. There's not an area on my body where I wouldn't let you touch me."

"Just me. But you wouldn't let Heidi touch you anywhere other than your arms and legs."

Christian stretches her arm out towards him, and he leans in to kiss her hand. Ana closes her eyes in a tremble before quickly reopening them.

"No one has the right to touch the place where my heart resides," he adds. "No one, except you."

Instead of Ana being wound up and upset by Elliot's intrusion, she is overcome with love and emotion for the man sitting before her. She can no longer hold back tears.

* * *

Once Christian shifts his sports car into drive, Ana ventures on the topic that's been lingering in her brain for the past thirty minutes.

"You mentioned knowing what Elliot's been up to."

Although hearing her loud and clear, Christian remains laser-focused on the road as the couple journey home from the restaurant. Taylor was given the rare night off, but when Christian was alerted via text from the security team that Elliot was having them followed tonight, he soon regretted that decision. Yet, Christian's head of security remains one step ahead. Taylor texted his boss, informing Christian that he is hard at work in his office at the penthouse. Taylor is in the process of putting all the necessary chess pieces in place in order to slow Elliot down.

"He brought his smug ass up to that restaurant, acting as if I had no idea that he'd show up," Christian responds.

Ana's eyes widen at the revelation. "You knew he was coming?"

"I did. I told you, I know his every move. I have my team following him. I know who he's made contact with, what information he was given, and what he plans on doing with it. He wants to initiate a smear campaign on me. But what he doesn't know is that he's heading towards a dead end. All of the money, time, and effort he's spending is all for nothing."

"Money? He's spending money?"

"Fuck yes," Christian sighs. "We both are."

"You, I know. But _him_?" _Elliot's cheap ass_ , Ana frowns to herself. "What is he trying to do?"

"He wants to break us up, Ana."

"I knew as much. But why is he going through such extremes?"

"One thing about my brother, he's a bona fide sore loser. The worse. He positively _hates_ losing. He had no idea until after you left him that you were the best thing that ever happened to him. He's well aware that you wouldn't take him back in a million years. He impregnated your best friend."

"Former."

Christian ignores her correction. "He knows you'll never forgive all the shit he's done to you. He doesn't want to face failure head on. Me being happily married to you is all of Elliot's combined failures staring him in the face for an eternity. It's the last thing he wants."

"Elliot Grey doesn't get to have a choice. He has stolen from me for nearly three years. He's not going to take you away from me."

"That's never going to happen, baby. We are forever. He's going to have to get used to this reality. He didn't give you a second thought while you patiently waited for him to come home while he was out fucking some random bimbo. I caught him with many women over the thirteen months I had him followed. Grace had him followed, too."

A rush of air exits Ana's lungs as if Christian just took a sledgehammer to her chest. "Wait a minute…Grace also knew he was cheating on me all that time?"

Christian hits the turn signal and nods before taking the next right. Ana seethes as she pulls her phone from her purse. Christian catches a glimpse of her frantic moving shadow from the corner of his eye and panics.

"Are you calling Grace?"

"No. I have nothing to say to her right now. Nor to you."

"Me? What did I do? I already told you what I did."

Ignoring Christian's voice in the background, she precedes to text Tammy, who answers right away.

 **Tammy:** What's up?

 **Ana:** You and Marty busy tonight?

 **Tammy:** We're chilling at home. Why? What's going on?

 **Ana:** Can I stay the night with you?

 **Tammy:** Sure. Is everything okay?

 **Ana:** I'll call you when I'm on my way. We'll talk then.

As Ana places her phone back in her purse, Christian pulls into the vacant lot of an office building and parks.

"Who did you just text?"

"Don't worry about it."

"Ana—talk to me."

She huffs in frustration. "I'm sick and tired of everyone else knowing what's going on behind my back. If the two of you told me what the hell was going on, I would've left Elliot a year sooner!"

Christian snaps his seatbelt apart and wraps an arm around Ana's shoulder. "Baby, the timing had to be just right, or Elliot would've weaseled his way out of it. Who knows—the two of you might still be together now if we hadn't waited."

Ana shrugs out of his grasp. "What I don't appreciate is not being giving the choice. I would have left Elliot and stood firm. Unfortunately, you and Grace didn't allow me the chance to prove how much of a brain I have."

"Look, I can't tell you what was going through my mother's mind. All I know is that I didn't want to leave Elliot any wiggle room. I was madly in love with you and I wanted him out of the picture for good so we could finally be together."

Although his words are sincere, Ana's heart is still twisting inside. She likens the whole ordeal to being an unwilling participant in her own version of _The Truman Show_. For the last year of her doomed relationship with Elliot, all eyes were on them. Meanwhile, no one said a word to Ana about all the things Elliot had been doing behind her back. Christian did come clean about his part in the whole ordeal. But hearing that Grace also knew rips the scab from a nearly healed scar.

 _Is this thing with Christian even real, or did Grace mastermind the whole thing?_ The part of Ana that's able to reason tells her that she should talk to Grace, but right now, she doesn't want to speak to anyone named _Grey_. In Ana's eyes, everyone in this family except for Carrick appears to be extremely manipulative. _Should I even be a part of such a family?_ Ana feels a dull pang in her stomach at the notion of her having second thoughts.

"When we get to the penthouse, I'm packing an overnight bag. Then I'm going to spend the night at Tammy's."

Christian is in full-on panic mode. He twists his entire body and grabs each of Ana's arms. "Ana, please don't leave. I know you're upset. Let's talk through this."

"I just need the night. I'm going to air out my anxiety to my friend."

"Tammy?" Christian's gray eyes are wider than they've ever been. "You don't have to leave home. If you need space, I'll give it to you. We can be on opposite ends of the penthouse if that suffices. Maybe you can have Tammy over at our place."

"I don't want to be at the penthouse right now, Christian. I'm going to Tammy's."

His grip on her arms gets stronger. "I'll leave. I can sleep at a hotel. I just want you at home and safe."

"Safe?" Ana pushes back. "What do you mean _safe_? Do you know something else that I don't? Is Elliot planning on hurting me?"

"Ana…"

"Elliot is many things, but he would _never_ harm me. That's _not_ him. I am spending the night away. That's final."

"I don't think that's a good idea," Christian sternly pushes back.

Ana tugs her arms from his hold. The action stuns him. "It's not your choice, Christian. I'm not like one of your subs. You don't get to tell me what to do."

Her words immediately sting him like rubbing alcohol on a gaping wound.

"I would never treat you less than a queen."

"I understand that your allegiance was to your brother before we got together."

"My allegiance was to you even before that."

"And Elliot is Grace's son. I get it. But back then, I thought you and Grace were my friends. The two of you sat back all that time and watched the shit show that was my life as it unraveled. I honestly don't know how to feel."

"I was your friend. Sitting back and watching everything was the hardest thing I ever had to do, Ana." In an emotional plea, Christian raises both fists in the air. "God knows I wanted to tell you the second I saw him kissing that blonde at the ice cream parlor. I was so afraid you wouldn't have believed me. So instead, I had to gather up enough evidence against him so it wouldn't be refuted. Elliot can be very convincing, as you very well know."

Fighting back tears, Ana gently places a hand on Christian's lap. "Look—I'm not mad at you or Grace. I'm just disappointed. I need a night away in order to process my thoughts. I promise I'll be back home tomorrow in time to meet with the wedding planner."

Christian releases a jagged exhale. The raw emotion etched across his face tugs at Ana's heartstrings. She deftly unfastens her seatbelt and stretches across the center console to hug him tightly.

"I told you, I won't keep secrets from you. That's a promise," he whispers in her ear.

"I know," Ana whispers back.

"Grace's involvement wasn't my business to tell. I hadn't planned on spilling the beans. I thought she would've told you herself."

Christian plants a kiss firmly on her temple. He hasn't the heart to tell her that they still have their Friday night ritual to tend to. He's beyond certain that having sex again is the last thing on Ana's mind. _Stupid idiot_ , he curses himself. _Why couldn't you have waited until tomorrow to tell her about Grace?_

"You should use the time alone to think about if there's anything else you forgot to tell me," Ana teases with a somber grin. "We can't approach the altar hiding anything."

"I agree."

He lifts Ana's chin in his palm and kisses her soundly. "When we get home, I'll have Taylor get the car ready for you so he can take you over to your friend's."

"That's okay. I'll drive. Besides, Taylor is off tonight."

"He's back on the clock and he'll be dropping you off."

"Christian…"

"I'm not happy about you leaving me for the night. We've never been apart since we've been together. At the very least, make this concession for me. I want to ensure you arrive safely at Tammy's and that you return to me the same."

"Okay," Ana nods. "Fair enough."

* * *

"What in the world is wrong with him?!" Tammy exclaims. "Does he have a death wish?"

Ana and Tammy sit side by side in the loveseat in Tammy's living room. Tammy's husband decided to give the two women space by disappearing in his den to play video games.

"I don't know what his game is," Ana sighs.

"For him to have the balls to show up at the restaurant where you and Christian are having dinner…"

"It was bound to happen. He wanted to prove to Christian that he's not rattled."

"And neither is Christian," Tammy frowns. "Whatever Elliot has on him doesn't scare Christian the slightest bit."

"He has nothing to hide."

"Except for his sneaky mom." Ana sighs in agony in response. "What are you going to do about the Grace thing?"

"What is there to do?" Ana shrugs. "I'm upset she knew about Elliot cheating and didn't bother telling me. At the same time, Elliot is her son. What could she have done?"

"She could have distanced herself from you when she had the chance. But every time you tried to pull away, she'd force a knitting needle in your face. She had plenty of opportunity to be all _Team Elliot_."

"In my eyes, she's always been Team Elliot," Ana sighs in defeat.

"Is she now?"

Ana shuts her eyes and takes in Tammy's question. Her eyes open with lazy resolve. "I don't think that's the case anymore. It's as if Elliot is trying everything in the book to get his mother to hate him."

"Why is that?"

"He feels betrayed by her more than anyone else."

"Even more than his brother?"

Ana nods. "He blames her for bringing Christian and I together. Elliot's been super nasty to her. It broke my heart hearing Grace repeat some of the awful things he said to her."

"He's scum," Tammy scowls. "You dodged the biggest fucking bullet on the planet."

Ana tilts her head sideways and squints. "Did I really?"

"Absolutely. I was there when you accepted his proposal. You almost married the guy."

"I've reflected over that for some time. I don't think we would have made it to the altar, even if I never caught him cheating. I'd wouldn't've been at peace marrying him."

Before Tammy can open her mouth in response, Ana is startled. She twists to her side, then digs into her flannel pajama bottoms. After retrieving her phone, she sighs.

"Christian calling again?" Tammy flashes Ana a teasing grin.

"Just one night. That's all I asked."

"He can't do it," sings Tammy with an adorable grin. "He can't last one night without you."

"God," Ana groans. "He's making this so hard."

"I'm sure he's hard. That's why he's still blowing you up after midnight."

Ana sends Christian a quick text and shoves her phone back in her pocket.

"Go home to your man, girl. He's not going to stop calling."

Ana shakes her head. "I can't renege on this, or he'll never believe me the next time I tell him I need space to sort things out. Tonight, I needed some time away from him in order to air out my thoughts about him and his mother not sharing things with me."

"But he told you what he'd done a while back. He had his brother followed. He had _you_ followed. He _still_ has the two of you followed."

"That's creepy."

Tammy glosses over Ana's whispered thought. "If anyone is in the wrong, it's Grace, not him. Like I said, she stared dead at your face across that knitting table and didn't bother telling you that her oldest son was being a hoe behind your back. Granted, that's her son and all, but she didn't have to pretend being your friend."

Ana squints as a fresh wave of hurt rushes to the surface. Tammy scoots closer to her dear friend and places an arm over her shoulder.

"You need to tell her exactly how you feel," Tammy advises.

"This whole thing just sucks. I hate putting her in that position. It's not like she did anything wrong. I just feel shitty that she knew something that affected me, and she held on to it. But she never owed me anything. I'm confused as hell by all of this."

"Look, things aren't as bad as you think. I mean…it's bad because of Elliot. But everything else is going good for you."

Ana's gaze narrows at her friend. "Like how?"

Tammy laughs as if her point is a no-brainer. "You are the luckiest bitch on the planet." Ana sighs once again, taking her buzzing phone back out of her pocket. "See! Hottie Divine is unable to resist you. You're stupid for being here instead of at home screwing his brains out."

Ana laughs as she ignores the text and puts her phone back away. "Speaking of… You know that couples massage I'd spent all that time planning, with your help?"

"Yeah?"

"Well, it was a bust. Christian was pissed. He kicked our massage therapists out of the room."

"What?!"

Ana bites her bottom lip to keep from smiling. "Our massage turned into a screwfest, resulting in _three_ orgasms."

"Holy shit!" Tammy squeals. "Tell me everything! I need a play-by-play, stat!"

"Nope," Ana says coyly.

* * *

As Ana's tired eyes scan the dark room, it slowly hits her that she's not in bed next to Christian. A sinking feeling hits her chest. When a buzzing vibrates against the nightstand, it hits her what had woken her up in the first place. Taking the phone in her hand, she sees Christian's name flashing on the screen just below the time.

 _It's after two in the morning._

 _Dammit, I've only been asleep for an hour._

Ana figures that something must be wrong if Christian is calling instead of texting at this hour.

"Hey," Ana groans into the phone after answering. "Is everything okay?"

"We need to talk," he says in a firm, yet unsteady voice.

"Christian," she sighs.

"Our bed is cold without you."

"Christian," she moans his name, frustrated and exhausted. "I'll be home tomorrow. Well…later today."

"You're upset with me."

"No, I'm not."

"Then why did you leave me on our night? Friday is _our_ night."

Ana slowly sits up in bed. "God—I didn't leave you. I just needed a few hours away to process some new… _and_ old information. That's all."

"And did you do that?"

For some reason, his question stumps her. She responds after several beats. "Well, sort of."

"Alright. You can come home now, then."

"Christian…"

"I'm right outside."

"Huh?"

"At Tammy's front door."

Ana's eyes open wide. _He's here?! He can't be serious._ Even though the thought crosses her mind, she is well aware that Christian Grey isn't one who plays around. With the moonlight cascading through the blinds as her only light source, she frantically climbs out of bed, slides into her sneakers, and walks to the guest room closet for her puffy, navy blue The North Face jacket.

Christian remains silent, bearing witness to the commotion taking place in the background on the other end of the phone. He's still basking in relief that she finally picked up the phone. He's well aware how hard of a sleeper Ana is.

 _All I had to do was wait eight more hours. But I just couldn't do it._

 _Every second without her drives me more insane._

Standing on the porch, he turns behind him to check on the black sedan that's parked up the street. Christian hasn't called off the hidden personal protection officer who has kept watch over Ana. These days, Christian hasn't given very many 'all clear' orders. Elliot has turned up the heat, so Taylor and team must remain on their A-game.

Christian turns back to the front door just as Ana opens it. The collar of her white pajama shirt is twisted and exposed at the collar of her fall jacket. Her chestnut hair is in disarray; a bee's nest on top of her hair. Yet she's still the most beautiful thing Christian has ever laid eyes on. He exhales in relief.

The bittersweet expression on her fiancé's face pricks Ana's chest. He presents himself to her as a sad little beagle in a pit bull's body. Ana desperately wants to jump into his arms and hug him tight, but she restrains herself. Thankfully, Christian ceases the tension between them by speaking first.

"I believed you when you said you just needed the night away. I know you're coming home later today. But understand, this is the first time we've been apart overnight, and I didn't do so well."

"Neither did I," she pitifully admits.

"I know I can only put off business trips and having my VP go in my place for so long. But as long as you have to stay in town for work, I can't imagine being away in some strange bed without you sleeping next to me."

"I know," Ana murmurs.

"I didn't mean to upset you after dinner. If I could do it all over again…"

"You wouldn't have told me," Ana finishes for him.

"No. I would've told my mother to come clean to you. But I didn't do that." He swallows hard and his eyes bore into Ana's. "Forgive me for speaking my mind. It's what I've finally learned how to do after many years of therapy."

"Go on," Ana encourages. "Always be open with me."

"When I saw you lose it in the car, I was scared you were going to leave me."

"Christian," Ana murmurs, her blue eyes filled with heartache.

"I think my mother and I stayed silent for the same reason. I mean…while it was happening. While my asshole brother cheated on you. We both were afraid of losing you. We knew you'd bolt from us the moment we told you. If I could turn back time, I'd do things differently, and Grace would, too. I spoke to her tonight."

Ana is thrown for a loop. _He told his mom that I was upset with them. This is awkward._ At the same time, Ana is grateful for Christian breaking the ice. She was unsure how to approach Grace about it. _Perhaps it won't be as difficult to discuss now that Grace knows how I feel about her hiding Elliot's indiscretions from me._

"I get it," Ana replies. "You two were in a very difficult position. And you did warn me back then as best you could. I'm not mad at you."

"Come home," Christian pleads. "Please."

She shuts her eyes to halt tears of exhaustion and high emotion. She slowly nods in response.

* * *

 ** _A/N: What's up, faithful readers! Long time no see! I apologize for the long delay. I am in the process of wrapping up the publication on my third book. Good news: It's a tale based on my Fifty fanfic "California Dreamin'." The 24k-word short is now a novel titled "California Love", and it comes out the week of Christmas! And because this story does have fanfic roots, I will be doing ARC and paperback giveaways for my fanfic followers in the weeks leading up to the release. Just make sure you are a member of my Storie Tells All [Storietella2] group on Facebook in order to stay on top of ARC signups and giveaways._**

 ** _Now, back to AMT. I've decided to take it easy this chapter (relatively speaking), but things will heat back up in chapter 15. Remember that fellow Elliot paid to take his brother down? Well, the guy comes back with something that has Elliot very conflicted. What?! Elliot has a conscience?! Say it isn't so!_**

 ** _I'll be working hard to have this chapter done within seven days! Until then, laters! – TK (aka ST2)_**


	15. Chapter 15

**Chapter 15** **–** **Scream Queen**

Whenever Christian feels as though Ana has his sanity back against the wall, there's this sudden hankering for him to come out of it swinging. That _swinging_ would be in the form of some type of sexual punishment where Ana's concerned.

A long time ago, there were all manners of punishment Christian would put his submissives through. Not only did the billionaire have a ravenous appetite for sex, but he had a desire for inflicting pain on women who reminded him of his birth mother. He'd gravitate towards the women who were small in stature and brown-haired. They were required to have a submissive's spirit, but not all of them were mousy pushovers while engaged in a scene. Women like Leila and Susannah come to mind.

These ladies enjoyed a challenge. They would occasionally disobey Christian on purpose, which kept the arrangement exciting and their sexy dom on his toes. The subs who remained perfect and never walked the line induced boredom. Christian would usually terminate their contracts early, especially if they didn't click. But the _bad girls_ always went the distance—at least until they caught feelings for him. At that point, their weekend arrangement had to end.

For the first time ever, Christian became the one with the strong feelings. He fell hard for a blue-eyed, brown-haired girl at first sight. The last thing he wants is to lose what he and Ana had. He fought hard for her, even going as far as transitioning out of the BDSM lifestyle. Before Ana came along, leaving the lifestyle was a feat he was certain never would, or even could happen. He wasn't sure he wanted to stop. A dominant is who he was. The desire for control in all facets of life was embedded in his DNA.

At first glance, he knew Ana Steele was unlike any woman he'd ever known. He vowed to himself that he'd strive for the _vanilla life_ in order to hold on to the likes of her. But first, he had to get her. The undertaking would prove to be more difficult than leaving a way of life that's been the fabric of his being for half of his existence. Standing between him and Ana was Elliot Grey.

After nearly two years of self-improvement, all of Christian's hard work suddenly turns into dust. His entire world shook when he saw his brother drop down on one knee before Ana, in the presence of family and friends. That devastating event took place in the same space where the trajectory of Christian's life changed course exactly twenty months prior. When he first met Ana, his passion in life had shifted from his brain to his heart. Now, his once armor-guarded heart had nowhere else to go.

Worse yet, he couldn't bring his heart back to safety even if he wanted to. As far as Christian was concerned, it had been exposed to the severe elements. It had also grown too large for his chest. That fragile, beating, bleeding muscle was in Ana's hands, whether she knew it or not. In Christian's mind, he'd already written a check payable to _Anastasia Steele_ for all that he had. No bank could ever cancel the note, nor could any human rip it to shreds. Ana possessed something that would never expire, and only _she_ had the power to cash it in. No one else had that power.

More than once, Christian found himself between a rock and a hard place with this woman. The last eight hours were no different. Ana had his sanity in a vice grip all while she was away. Now, she's back home; her warm naked body pressed underneath his. The _old Christian_ would have tied her up limb by limb and denied her his cock while torturing her to the brink of an orgasm a thousand times—all because she'd left him against his wishes.

Today's Christian is simply grateful to be back inside of his girl. Although, it doesn't stop him from having wild split-second thoughts. _Maybe she wouldn't mind humoring the old me._ Though Ana enjoys pushing her limits with him in bed, Christian never wants to leave anything to chance. It's not that he's afraid of opening Pandora's box and releasing the old savage. After maturity and reconditioning, he doesn't believe that the same dom exists in him anymore.

Maybe it's because he is deathly afraid of losing her.

That trumps everything.

At this ungodly hour, he continues pulling in and out of her at a languorous pace. He's lost in her mewls and whimpers, even though his rhythm remains very calculated and controlled. As he experiences every inch of her, his mind takes him back to that fateful night in the main room of his parents' Bellevue estate. With both of Ana's thighs hooked in the crooks of his elbows, Christian pushes up into her and kisses her throat. Ana throws back her head and calls his name on impact.

"I remember that night when I first saw you," he croons into her ear.

Ana shivers. "Christian…"

"I couldn't get you out of my head. Not even for a second," he murmurs. "You were a staple. A permanent fixture."

"Oh, God…"

"I told myself if I could have you, I would never let you go. And I meant it."

"Don't! _Please_ …"

"You're everything to me, baby. My air. My bread…"

Ana reaches sensory overload and she comes spectacularly. Christian buries his face in her neck as she convulses all around him. As she continues to tremor, his face resurfaces and his eyes search hers, which are filled with tears.

"You're my talisman. I searched all my life for you. When I finally found you, you belonged to someone else. And now that you're mine, I'm never letting you go."

"Please! _Don't_ …"

"I won't. Promise me you'll never leave," Christian begs before kissing her throat hard.

Shaking, Ana takes his stubbled face into both hands. The emotion emitting from Christian's eyes, even in the darkness, is so strong that Ana begins to release more tears.

"Even if I wanted to, I…I don't think I'd have the strength to leave. And that's the scariest thing about us," she says with a trembling voice.

Her words petrify Christian. "Scared? You're scared about us?"

"I'm scared how much I love you. I'm scared that if I ever had to leave, I wouldn't…"

"Ana, you're not weak. You're the strongest woman I know. If anything, you'll need to counter that strength of yours in order to lower your standards and stay."

She rolls her eyes in response and he narrows his. Before she can say that he's the one lowering his standards, she bites her tongue. Thankfully Christian continues.

"All I ask is that you remain patient with me. I guarantee that we'll have bumps and bruises along the way. But I promise you that I'll never be unfaithful or dishonest."

"I know," she exhales.

He gently lowers his large hand to her face and wipes away her stray tears. "I don't want you to think you're trapped with me. Although I'm not helping all that much to make you _not_ feel that way."

Ana stills his hand and kisses it. Christian is very self-aware, which brings a smile to her face. "I don't feel trapped with you. I feel… I just _feel_. I feel everything. It's like… It's like all my skin has been shed, and every nerve is exposed. I feel so… Raw."

His eyes twinkle in response. "That's it. That's _exactly_ how I feel. You said it perfectly."

"I think that's why I panicked when you told me that Grace knew about Elliot cheating on me all that time. I started to fear that you and I weren't truly real. That we were two people forced together under false pretenses."

"Ana…"

"No—I know we're real. It was the circumstances that shook me, is all. Before I knew what Grace did, I'd always believed that you and I were _manifested fate_."

"We were, baby. We _are_ ," he pleads, caressing her cheek.

"But I couldn't help but think that Grace made it so that we were forced to be together, especially since she couldn't control Elliot. Aside from you, she was always trying to fix me up with someone."

Christian frowns at the thought. "Which I wasn't pleased about. I wanted you all for myself."

Ana's brows arch in curiosity. "You never told Grace back then that you wanted to be with me?"

"I couldn't. You were with my brother—my mother's other shitty son. It was a precarious situation."

"She practically pushed me into your lap," Ana chuckles. "Those lunches where she would surprise me and bring you along. That lady worked hard to bring us closer."

"I'd be lying if I said I wasn't grateful for her doing that. I'm glad she continued to put us in the same room. She'd done what I was afraid to do. My mother paved the way for me to reach the next step with you. It was something I so deeply wanted."

The smirk on Christian's face makes him appear ages younger. He's the innocent little boy that he never had the chance to be. That innocence was once ripped away from him a long time ago, then split three ways between a drug-addicted prostitute, her abusive pimp, and a very wealthy and bored housewife with a penchant of manipulating the minds of the weak.

"My mother is awesome," he chuckles.

Even after enduring such a rush of heavy emotion, Ana can't hide her smile. "She is. Grace is a wonderful woman. Wonderful and sneaky. Just like you." She lifts her head to kiss him on the mouth.

"I'm wonderful and sneaky, huh?" He gives her a kiss of his own. "How am I sneaky?"

"I think it's hilarious that you didn't ask how you are _wonderful_. You simply jump right to _sneaky_. Sneaky…that one, you should know. You continue to have people followed by your highly skilled security staff and PI contact. You knew about things before I did—like about Gretchen and her daughter. You took care of them without me knowing. These are things you didn't bother telling me as they were happening."

"Certain things don't necessarily concern you," Christian counters with an arched brow.

Disregarding his push-back, Ana proceeds with her point. "But you have no idea how wonderful you are. Every time I try to tell you, you brush me off. You say you want me to tell you everything that's on my mind. It's as if you only want to hear the bad things, my grievances, so that you can fix them. You never want to hear any of the praise I have for you."

Her diatribe hits Christian like a ton of bricks. "What do you mean I _brush you off_?"

Ana massages his face as their sets of eyes remain locked together. "You do. Every time I mention how good you are to me, or how good you are to others, you quickly change the subject."

"I'm not used to receiving praise."

"Well, you'd better get used to it, Grey, because there's a lot more where that comes from." Ana chuckles while smiling brightly. "I won't ever stop telling you how beautiful and wonderful you are—just as you insist on telling me. Next time I tell you how amazing you are, I want you to believe it. Maybe you can even say, 'thank you'."

Christian stills as Ana kisses his lips. Her ray of light isn't strong enough to penetrate through the shroud of darkness that continues to linger over him. At one time, Christian believed his strange sexual proclivities would end up being his biggest downfall.

For years, Dr. Flynn had been telling Christian that he was his greatest critic. Meanwhile, the doctor's feedback would be disregarded, and the patient would insist on treating the symptom as opposed to the root cause. Christian would tell himself over and over again that he was a sexual deviant, especially since he'd met Ana. It wasn't until after Ana begged him to choke her during rough sex that he understood that having a strong sexual appetite wasn't being _different_. It wasn't anything _bad_. Being honest with his partner about how he enjoyed having sex was simply that: Being honest.

Christian's _real_ problem wasn't sex. It was what he thought about himself.

 _Loner._

 _Weird._

 _Discarded._

 _Unworthy._

 _Monster._

For all but four years of his life, these were words that replayed in his psyche, over and over again.

And now, this perfect woman of his was reciting new, different words in his ear.

 _Loved._

 _Special._

 _Cherished._

 _Worthy._

 _Savior._

This new vocabulary causes him to short circuit. It's food his body isn't accustomed to, and therefore, it's immediately rejected. A diet of constant praise flushes out of his system like a diuretic. Positive affirmation is unable to latch on to his marrow and feed him the necessary nutrients in order for him to finally live a pain-free existence.

Flynn told him more than once that he didn't need to recruit those two women to teach him how to be a better man. Instead, what he needed was to teach himself how to feel worthy of love.

Christian never felt that. And now that he has the woman he always wanted, his feeling of unworthiness has quadrupled.

"Let's start with _'I love you'_ ," Ana whispers. "You believe that I love you, right?"

"Yes," he breathes. "And I love you more than life itself."

Ana is suddenly reminded that Christian is still inside of her. As if reading her thoughts, he proceeds to move inside of her, not missing a beat from before. It doesn't take long for their lovemaking to become more and more intense. Soon, Ana cries out to the heavens as she comes again, much harder than before. And this time, Christian pours all of himself inside of her—mind, body, and soul.

"Don't leave me," he whispers in supplication after a few beats of silence. "Please."

She responds with a shaky, heartfelt, "I won't. Ever."

* * *

"Miss Ana? How does coffee taste?"

"Not very good, Everett. In fact, it's bad for you," she frowns. " _Very_ bad. Don't try it when you grow up. It can be very addicting, like cigarettes."

"Yuck," the tiny boy frowns. "Cigarettes stink!"

Ana just chugged down the remainder of her coffee in front of the children in the arts and crafts room. She is functioning on very little sleep, yet she pressed on so that she could do her part as a dedicated pediatrics volunteer. Christian had to tend to some critical GEH business at Grey House, so he was unable to join his fiancée with the kids this afternoon. He also thought it would be a good idea that Ana and his mother have a little alone time, especially after what had taken place last night.

Today, Ana and the kids are making jack-o'-lanterns out of orange and black construction paper in preparation for Halloween later this month.

"Can you become addicted to broccoli just like that?" Marlowe asks. "Broccoli is _pretty_ gross."

Ana chuckles and pats the young girl on the head. "A broccoli addiction wouldn't necessarily be a bad thing."

"Disgusting!" young Tyler interjects from across the table.

"My mom makes broccoli in the frying pan with a ton of butter and lots of cheddar cheese," Dylan adds. "It's the best!"

Ana frowns.

"That sounds good!" Marlowe squeaks, wide-eyed.

"My dad says lots of butter and cheese make anything taste good," Everett shrugs. "That and A.1. Steak Sauce."

Ana lets out a hearty laugh. "Your father isn't wrong. Look, there's no need to drown your food in extra fat. I know this really good cook. Her name is Mrs. Jones, and she makes the best steamed broccoli."

"No thanks." Tyler pretends to gag, sticking out his tongue.

"I wouldn't mind trying Mrs. Jones' broccoli," Everett bravely volunteers.

Marlowe raises her hand. "Me too!"

"I wanna try!" Dylan echoes her friends. "If you say it's good, Miss Ana, then it probably is. You never lie."

Ana smirks at the kids surrounding her. "Alright "I'll bring some next week. Tyler, you sure you don't want any?"

Tyler groans. "Gee, I don't know. I hate the broccoli here."

"Mrs. Jones' broccoli is a hundred billion times better than what they serve here."

"That's not very hard to accomplish. The dietary department at Northwest has the bar set _really_ low," slams Dylan, the girl genius. "The only thing they know how to do well is dessert."

Ana laughs. "I promise, Mrs. Jones is the best cook. She can make anything taste good. Maybe you can try a stem of her broccoli. If you don't like it, you don't have to finish it. Deal?"

"Oh…alright," Tyler sighs. "If I eat it, will you give me a dollar?"

 _What a sneaky little devil, hustling me out of my cash_ , Ana thinks to herself. "We'll see."

"Where is Mr. Grey today? He gives me _lots_ of dollars when I do stuff," the boy squints.

Ana raises both brows. "Oh, does he? I think I'm going to have a little talk with him."

"Narcing out Mr. Grey may have just cost you your bottom line," Dylan scolds.

"What do you mean?" Tyler frowns.

"Never mind," Dylan sighs. "You'll find out soon."

"Oh crap," Tyler slaps his head in realization.

"You shouldn't get paid to do what you're supposed to do, young man," Ana scolds with an adoring smile.

"But money is awesome," whines Tyler.

"Money isn't everything," Ana says with a pointed finger.

"My dad says that poor people always say that," Everett lends another two cents.

"Everett, remember when I said your dad wasn't wrong?" Ana says, narrowing her eyes.

"Miss Ana…I found the prettiest dress online yesterday," Marlowe interrupts. "I showed it to my mom. She said she's going to buy it for me."

"Really?" Ana says in awe. "That's so cool! What does it look like?"

"It's a flowy, light pink with these little flowers all around made out of gold beads."

"Wow—that sounds so pretty. I can't wait to see you in it," gushes Ana.

"If I'm all better, can I wear it to the wedding? You know—with you and Mr. Grey?"

Ana is moved to the brink of tears. "Oh gosh…yes. I would _love_ that, Marlowe. That's if it's okay with your mom."

" _Duh_ —it's only the wedding of the century. Of course, she'll let me go. Mom talks about it with my aunts all the time," Marlowe says, bopping in her seat with a pair of safety scissors.

 _The wedding of the century, huh?_ Ana isn't naïve about the chatter that goes on about her and her very high-profile fiancé. It's just strange hearing about it from a child. Ana dismisses the sinking feeling and shifts her focus back to the children.

"You're getting married, Miss Ana?" Tyler looks almost disappointed.

"I forgot…you're new," Marlowe sighs.

"Mr. Grey and Miss Ana are getting married," Everett singsongs.

"No way!" Tyler is shocked.

"They live together," Dylan adds.

"In the same house?!" Tyler exclaims.

Ana is speechless as her head ping-pongs from one end to the other.

"That's how living together usually works," laughs Dylan.

"Do you two sleep in the same bed?" Tyler asks.

Ana's jaw drops.

"You're not supposed to ask that!" squeals Marlowe.

"Why not?" Tyler says, genuinely concerned. "Grown up boys and girls can share a bed. They can even wrassle in bed. I caught my parents doing it one time, but they didn't see me. Dad thrashed my mom a few times. Miss Ana, do you and Mr. Grey wrassle in bed?"

Ana stares soullessly, like a deer in headlights.

"What's _wrassle_?" Marlowe frowns.

 _Ground, swallow me up now_ , Ana pleads in a silent prayer.

"He means _wrestling_ ," Everett translates for his friend. "You know…like John Cena-style. Do you and Mr. Grey wrestle, Miss Ana?"

 _Oh, God._ Ana is beyond mortified. _You sure you want children someday, Steele?_ To her utter relief, Dr. Trevelyan Grey enters the room and saves the day. The kids immediately drop the topic of _wrestling_ in order to show off the progress of their artwork.

* * *

Around two o'clock, Ana and her future mother-in-law meet for a late lunch in the cafeteria. The two women hug it out before sitting down with their soups and salads. Ana studies Grace's expression across the table. The older woman appears to be a little heavy in spirit. Ana immediately feels guilty about the conversation that is to come.

"How was your meeting with the wedding planner this morning?" Grace asks.

"Dana is great. Thank you for recommending her. She came up with some really cool ideas—one for a summer wedding at the house in Bend, and one for a spring wedding at the house in Maui."

"There's also our home in Bellevue," Grace offers.

 _No way_ , Ana thinks to herself. _That's neutral territory for Elliot._ Instead of shooting down Grace's idea outright, Ana decides to sell the notion of one of her most preferred destinations.

"I'm really thinking that a summer wedding in Bend would be nice. _And_ Central Oregon is fairly convenient for my parents to get to."

"Although I think it'll be easier for your family to meet here in the Seattle area, I absolutely agree with you. A wedding in Bend would be fabulous. We're talking next summer, right?"

Ana nods.

"Perfect." Grace appears to be forcing a smile over some other expression. It's then when Ana makes up her mind to finally address the elephant in the room.

"Christian told me that he'd spoken with you yesterday. It was about me being upset over you being aware of Elliot cheating on me back when we were still together."

"Ana, I'm so sorry. I feel terrible over the whole thing. It wasn't my intention to keep his duplicity a secret. All the while, I hoped and prayed my son would get his life in order. Especially since I'd confronted him about it."

Ana is astonished at the revelation. "You confronted him? About his cheating?"

"Yes, I called him out. And he proceeded to tell me that I was being delusional—as if I didn't see what I saw with my own two eyes. This one time, I saw him hand in hand with one girl at a restaurant. A time before that, I caught him up under his then assistant. They weren't doing much at the time, but they were _pretty_ close. I was convinced if I'd waited just five more minutes, I would have walked in on something awful."

Ana is beyond appalled. "Well, I went to his office, and I actually caught him in the act. And it was _bad_."

"I know you did, poor thing."

"As the case with you, he began feeding me lines of bologna. I don't understand for the life of me how he remains committed to telling others that their eyes are deceiving them."

"You know, Christian has said for years that Elliot was a narcissistic sociopath, and I never believed him. It wasn't until I witnessed it live and in living color that I was finally convinced of the fact. The things that Elliot has said to me since finding out about you and Christian's engagement…" Grace stops mid-thought and shakes her head in agony.

"What has he said to you?" Ana is nervous about the potential answer.

"He blamed me for breaking you two up."

"He _what_?!"

"He said it was all my fault. He also said that I was only attached to you because you reminded me so much of Mia."

"What a jerk! Unbelievable!"

"Carrick doesn't want Elliot over at the house anymore. How long can this go on? We're a _family_. We have a grandchild with another on the way!"

"Yeah," Ana responds with regret.

"Elliot needs to get his shit together. We can't go on like this. What will happen after the wedding? Hell…what's going to happen leading up to it? Will everyone in the family be invited except for Elliot? I mean—how is that going to fly?"

"I'm worried about that, too," Ana murmurs. "Meanwhile, Christian thinks that not inviting his brother is a no-brainer. I don't think it's that cut and dry."

"It isn't! How can Elliot be excluded?"

"I don't know. However, him being present at the wedding would be even more strange, you have to admit."

"Elliot needs to put on his big boy britches and admit that he screwed up. He needs to make amends with Christian and be happy for you both."

Ana lets the thought marinate for a few beats. "Does he, though? Does he have to be happy for us?"

"Yes!" Grace says adamantly. "He needs to be mature about this. He lost you fair and square. You never cheated on him with his brother. The two of you fell in love organically."

Ana winces at Grace's words, reminded of the prospect of her future mother-in-law being the mastermind architect of hers and Christian's union. In spite of the idea, Ana can't deny that her and Christian's strong connection is one that could never be formulated or premeditated. Their hearts and souls beat as one. This was not Grace's doing.

"You're right," Ana confesses.

"I've been talking to John Flynn, Christian's longtime therapist. I need to find a way to get him and Elliot together in a room…" Grace trails off in thought.

"I don't know if that's a good idea. Elliot hates being backed up against a corner. He'll come out swinging."

"That's what I'm afraid of," Grace says soberly.

"He has to be willing to change. Until then, he will continue to battle with his brother until we break up."

"No!" Grace gasps in a panic. "Don't you dare let him tear you and Christian apart!"

"Don't worry, we won't," Ana assures her.

"I wish there was a way that I could get through that thick skull of his. He's a father! Parenthood should be lifechanging."

"Until Elliot stops thinking about Elliot, he's not going to put those babies first."

"Oh, Ana." Grace is on the verge of tears. "Every day, I've been searching my heart, trying to find the point in my life where I failed my son."

Ana reaches for her hand across the table. "You didn't fail him, Grace. You saved his life, as you did with Christian and Mia."

"I don't feel that way sometimes," Grace murmurs, looking down at her untouched tray.

"God knows how he would be had if you and Carrick had not taken him in and loved him. One day, he will open his eyes and finally see all you did for him."

"Goodness, I hope so," Grace quivers. "He is breaking my heart."

"Keep the faith, Grace."

Ana's words and the loving smile on Grace's face both sparkle with hope.

"You know, Christmas is almost here, and Carrick and I are grandparents this time."

"Very true," Ana nods. "Did you start shopping for Nala?"

Grace scoffs. "Of course." Ana laughs. "I'm also thinking about making her a few hats and scarfs the next time you and I go to knitting class."

"I was wondering when you'd start something for her."

"That little girl is so precious," Grace gushes. "I've been spending a lot of time with her and her mother. That little sweet pea adores her Pop-Pop. That's what she recently started calling Carrick."

Ana laughs. "Oh, how cute!"

"I've been begging Gretchen to come back to the house to live with us. I told her she wouldn't have to work again. Bernard is doing such a fantastic job."

"He is."

"Even Carrick has softened to him. I think it helped that Bernard made Carrick's favorite pineapple upside-down cake. Carrick is no longer jealous of him."

"I'm sure the cake didn't hurt," Ana giggles.

"But I digress. Carrick's been working hard to keep Gretchen in the States without her having to be an au pair. For now, she wants to stay put with the Dithers. I know the family. They're very good people."

Ana nods. "I remember Gretchen telling me how good they've been to her."

"Yes, and Nala loves playing with their children—two girls and two boys. One girl and boy are closer to Nala's age, while the other two are much older."

"That's good she's around other kids."

"It's very important for her early development. She seems to be thriving. Nala is a very bright little girl." Grace proudly smiles, but it quickly fades. "I did warn Gretchen to keep a close eye on them, especially the boys. Kids get really curious about their bodies at a certain age. We need to keep little Nala innocent for as long as possible."

Ana feels extremely uncomfortable, but she knows that Grace speaks from experience. Dr. Trevelyan Grey has told Ana some horror stories in the past. Even hearing about the state that Grace first found Christian in as a four-year-old little boy still mortifies Ana to this day.

"Maybe one day, you can join Gretchen, Nala and me for tea during your lunch break," smiles Grace.

Ana's lips tighten in a crooked line.

"You know, Gretchen absolutely trusts you. You kept her secret for a long time—even from me. She also appreciates everything Christian has done for her and her daughter. I think as long as Elliot is being…well _Elliot_ , Gretchen, and Nala will need all the support they can get. I know it will do them some good to be around more kind faces in the family while the Elliot situation is being worked out."

Ana shrugs. "Christian doesn't think that us hanging around them is a good idea at the moment. We're trying to distance ourselves from Elliot as much as possible since he is being so relentless."

Grace is taken aback. "What in the world do you mean by that? Gretchen and that precious little girl of hers are _not_ Elliot."

"But Nala is Elliot's daughter," Ana counters. "Christian thinks the dust should settle before we get involved, and I agree. Us getting tangled with Elliot's ex and his daughter while our relationship with Elliot is so fragile may overcomplicate things."

Grace stiffens to the point of trembling. "That little girl is innocent."

"I know." Ana gaze drops to the table.

"I'll have a talk with Christian," Grace says with a tight upper lip. "In the meantime, you should think about what I said. Get to know Nala."

"I would love to know your granddaughter," Ana smiles.

"My granddaughter is _your_ future niece," Grace winks.

"I've always wanted nieces and nephews, even though I never had siblings. It's just that I never expected it to happen through my former fiancé and my former best friend. Everyone has to admit—this whole thing is one big hot mess."

"It is," Grace nods. "Very much so. No thanks to my oldest son."

* * *

 _(Two days later)_

"Mylegent, Ana Steele speaking."

" _Christasia_ , huh?"

The tone of voice on the other end punches Ana in the gut well before his actual words do. A flurry of thoughts run through her head upon hearing Elliot speaking on the other end of the line. Yet, the irony of her ex being up to his old tricks isn't lost on her. Even when he first courted her, he would call her work phone on a regular basis. It's just that these days, he uses an unlisted number. He knows very well that Ana would never pick up if she saw his name on the caller ID.

"Christasia doesn't sound natural. It's not right. It doesn't have that musical ring like Ellistasia," he muses.

Ana experiences a rush of fear.

 _What's wrong with him?! Is he mad?!_

"Why are you calling my job, Elliot?"

"Because my brother is keeping me from seeing you."

"And you do get why that is, _right_?"

"No, I don't," he says, point-blank.

"Well, your lack of comprehension is not my problem."

"Don't hang up," he says, sensing Ana's intent. "I'll just keep calling back. All you have to do is talk to me."

"And what will that accomplish?" Ana stands, walks to her open office door, and shuts it. "I know you don't want Christian happy. You don't want _me_ happy."

"Your definition of _happy_ right now is fucking twisted!" Elliot barks.

"You mean the definition that says _love_ and _monogamy_ go hand in hand?"

"Look, I admitted to fucking up…"

"You've been _fucking up_ for _years_ , Elliot. Not just with me, but with everyone you've ever been with. I used to feel sorry for myself, but I feel more sorry for those other girls you really screwed over. I'm sad for Kate, my best friend whom you slept with and got pregnant before you abandoned her. I feel bad for Gretchen, whom you betrayed. You promised her that you would be together, then you began to pursue me. At least you had the foresight to warn me about you. You made me get an IUD."

"It's because they meant nothing, and I wanted to do the right thing with you."

Ana scoffs. "You're deranged."

"It's fucking true," Elliot snaps back. "I never wanted to get married. Not until I met you."

"Nor should you get married!" Ana spits. "You couldn't be with only one woman to save your life!"

"You were the only one for me…"

"Look—you don't get to play games with me anymore. Your word stopped mattering to me a long time ago."

"I'm just a man, Ana. A man with flaws, like my brother…"

With her wireless headset in her ear, Ana is able to grip her desk with both hands. "Don't you _dare_ mention yourself in the same breath…"

"All these years, I thought he was perfect. In reality, he's just as fucked up as I am. Even more so, in fact. It may even worse than I think. I'm going to keep on digging until I get to the whole truth. Once I do, I want you to look me square in the eye and tell me that he's still better than me. If you do, then you're a hypocrite, Ana. If he still deserves you after all the rotten shit he's done to women, then I'm sorry. You shouldn't have ever left me in the first place."

"Oh my God! Are you serious?!" Ana squawks. "You _can't_ be serious! Christian hasn't fucked all of Seattle, for crying out loud!"

"How do you know that?!" Elliot shouts back. "He's paid everyone off!"

"Even so, he has _never_ cheated on me!"

"You've only been together for four months. Give him time. Hell, even _I_ didn't cheat on you in the first four months! In fact, it was much longer than that!"

 _You fucking want a cookie for that, Grey? Being faithful is what you're supposed to do!_ Ana wants nothing more than to slam the phone in his face. Yet, her fighting spirit refuses to retreat.

"Christian is _not_ you. The terrible things you've said… to _me_ …to your own _mother_ … Christian doesn't treat women that way! You know a tree from its fruit. Christian's is ripe and fresh—and with him, I am _full_. Your tree is barren, Elliot! I would have starved to death if I stayed with you!"

"I'm not saying that I'm not a fuck up. All I'm saying is that I'm human, just like Christian, and I deserve a chance, just like him."

"Which you had—for three years!"

"And you were mine _first_. Christian was out of bounds. Who in the fuck snatches up his brother's girl, present or past?"

"And who in the _fuck_ fucks their ex's best friend?! Tell me that!"

"You wouldn't even talk to me, Ana! Kate was there!"

Ana shakes her head, knowing without a doubt she'd get more accomplished arguing with her inanimate desk.

"Double standard, Elliot." _Hell, why am I still talking to him?!_

"Kate's been long gone," he growls. "So why is Christian still around?"

"She's having your baby, Elliot. She's not _gone_. She's connected to you forever, and you're neglecting her at the moment. Please call her. I'm sure she'll be happy to hear that you're going to be there for her and the baby."

"Ana, come on," Elliot sighs. "You know I don't care for her like that. She was with that dude…what's his name—Keegan? Keenan? Quite honestly, I don't know if the kid is really mine."

She laughs in frustration. "Are you being serious right now?! She broke up with Keenan for _you_!"

"I never asked her to do that. She knew you were the endgame for me, and she was only a placeholder."

With each line of bullshit Elliot spews, he tops the last. Ana's eyes widen, utterly shocked at his self-delusion. Before she can either respond or hang up, her office door swings open. It's Tammy.

"Ana, I'm sorry to interrupt, but there's a hot issue," Tammy says in a hurry.

"Gotta go," Ana says into her headset before ripping it from her ear and tossing it across the room. When she looks to Tammy for her reaction, she acts as if her friend didn't just attempt to destroy company property. "What's this _hot issue_?"

"Your fiancé is a _very_ hot issue. Hot in more ways than one." Ana's eyes widen as Tammy explains. "He just called and asked me to make you get off the phone with your ex."

Ana gapes at her friend. "He knew Elliot called from an unlisted number?"

Tammy shrugs. "Apparently so. Why don't you give him a call and find out? That's if your earpiece over there on the floor still works."

* * *

"I don't understand why you continue to give him more than a nanosecond of your time," Christian says, angrily cutting into his porkchop.

Eating dinner right next to him at the breakfast bar, Ana examines Christian with a critical eye. "You tapped my office phone at Mylegent?"

Christian says nothing as he chews.

"Corporate phone tapping is highly illegal," Ana frowns. "I thought we weren't going to have any more secrets. Seems like this relationship is becoming one-sided. Or maybe it's always been that way."

The moment Christian places his empty wine glass on the table, Mrs. Jones is at his side refilling it. Ana watches her with heightened nerves. Even though the blonde housekeeper avoids eye contact and remains silent whenever the couple has a private discussion, Ana can't ignore the fact that Gail knows all.

Mrs. Jones steps over to Ana's glass and tops if off. Christian and Ana lock eyes.

"We're only made aware of unlisted phone calls," he comes clean. "Anything else, our monitoring system stays off."

" _We're_?" Ana's eyes squint.

"You know Barney…my head of IT…"

"You're tapping into Mylegent phone lines. What happens if Don Richards finds out what you've been up to? What will that do to SafeDriver and your relationship with Mylegent?"

"Richards knows."

Ana gasps. "He knows?!"

"Yes, Richards and I talk a lot. He is well aware of the situation with your ex, my shitty brother. In fact, Don knows Elliot isn't allowed anywhere on the premises."

While Ana cups her face with both hands in embarrassment, Christian proceeds to address the second part of her question.

"GEH's relationship with Mylegent has never been better. In fact, I will be the majority stockholder soon."

Ana is floored.

"That's not a secret," Christian says after swallowing another swig of wine. "You knew I wanted a larger piece of the pie once SafeDriver successfully launches next fall."

"I knew you'd own stock, but I wasn't aware you were going to be majority stock owner."

"When I buy stock from a growing company that I partner with, I want control. That's how I've always done business."

"So, will that make you my boss?" The worry on Ana's face is unavoidable.

"No," Christian says. "I'll be on the advisory board, but I won't be involved in day-to-day operations."

"Fair enough."

Christian smirks. "Why are you so worried about me being your boss?"

Ana shrugs. "That would be weird."

"Whenever I finally convince you to bring your talents to GEH, I'll be your boss then."

"I'm not going to GEH. Not sure whatever gave you that idea." Ana plops a cherry tomato from her Mediterranean salad into her mouth.

"Never say never, Miss Steele. I'm not done wooing you yet."

"You've already used up all of your _wooing points_. I live here and I'm marrying you."

Christian laughs. "I didn't know I only get a certain amount of points with you."

"Yes. I forgot to tell you about that."

"Looks like you've been keeping secrets, too," he teases. "Anyway, you changed the subject."

"Sorry."

"The next time Elliot calls you, hang up."

Ana glances over at Mrs. Jones, who's faced away at the other end of the kitchen. Ana knows that Christian will complain about her reluctance to speak her mind whenever Gail or Jason Taylor is in the room. If she had a nickel for every time Christian encouraged her to speak freely, she'd be a rich girl.

"This is our home, Ana. Say whatever's on your mind."

 _Dammit._ Ana shuts her eyes in grief.

"My brother has nothing of value to say to you. His reason for harassing you is to manipulate you into fear. Don't fall for it."

"He is determined to take you down," Ana says softly. "If I can head him off at the pass, I will."

"No, don't you worry about that. I have everything under control."

Ana tilts her head sideways. "Really? If that's the case, you're not upholding your end of the bargain. You're supposed to tell me everything."

"I'm not bothering you with the minor details. Just know that I'm doing everything in my power to protect us. Everything is running smoothly. We're getting married in Bend next summer without a hitch, and Elliot won't be there."

Ana's talk with Grace on Saturday immediately comes to mind. If Christian's mother could have her way, the whole family would be in attendance. Ana doesn't bother bringing up her future mother-in-law's objection to leaving Elliot out of the wedding.

To Ana's relief, Christian shifts the topic.

"Have you decided on a date?"

"I was thinking Sunday, June twenty-sixth."

Christian smiles with his eyes. "The one-year anniversary of our first date."

Nodding, Ana returns his smile with one of her own. "It's not two months from now like you originally wanted—it's just under nine months. But we're almost guaranteed to have great weather in Bend that time of year."

Christian stands to his feet. He leans down to seated Ana, and their two faces meet.

"It's a date," he murmurs before sealing his words with a kiss to her lips. "So, what would you like to do now?"

Ana instinctively turns her head to the other end of the kitchen, expecting to find Mrs. Jones still there. She is long gone. _The woman's a ninja._ Ana turns back to Christian.

"I want to fuck."

A sexy smirk spreads across Christian's face. "I know that, but how would you like it? Another massage like last night? Or do you want to go straight to the fucking?"

Ana blushes bright red. Although she loves it when her fiancé demands to know in detail what she wants, she can't help that she's still too shy to speak her mind. Especially when Mrs. Jones could return at any moment.

"I'd like to start by sucking your cock."

"Would you like me to come in your mouth?"

"You know how much I like it when do that, but I want you to save it for my pussy."

He arches a brow. "You don't want it on your tits this time?"

"Maybe do that in the morning when we wake up. That way, I can shower afterward. Tonight, I want something else. I love it when you shoot your seed inside me." Hearing herself say such dirty words causes her to giggle.

 _I sound so silly._

Meanwhile, still hovering over her, Christian bites his lower lip in extreme want. He has a thought about impregnating her with many babies, but he quickly jumps out of it. Although having children is something he's very much looking forward to, Ana is laser-focused on her career at Mylegent. He knows the topic of offspring will be off the table for some time. Ana is on her way to becoming director, something she has put off for two years.

Christian isn't just in love with Ana's body and heart, but he loves her mind. He's beyond eager to bring her smarts over to GEH, but Ana won't agree to it right now. _Maybe later_ , he continues telling himself.

"Alright, so you want me to come inside your cunt. After that, then what?"

"Twice. Can you do it twice, one after the other? I love it when you do that."

"You like it when I stay hard and nut for you twice?"

Ana's breath hitches in her throat. "Yes. It's one of my favorite things."

"What's another of your _favorite things_ , my sweet little freak?"

"Being choked."

"That's right. Do you want that tonight as well?"

"Let's play it by ear…as we normally do."

"Very well. Let's shower first, and then we'll fuck each other brains out. Wait a second—do you want to start in the shower?"

"No—separate showers."

"But I want to shower with you," Christian borderline pouts.

"You'll just end up fucking me there."

"Yeah," he says with narrowed eyes. "That's what I just said."

"I'd rather get fucked in our bed on all fours."

"But fucking you against the shower wall from behind is just as good."

"That's groovy and all, Mr. Grey, but it's been quite a long day. I'm probably going to crash hard after you make me come three or four times. It's best we're in bed when that happens."

"Fair enough. Go ahead and shower, and I'll make a few calls in my study. Then, I'll shower right quick and meet you in our bed."

"It's a date."

The two smooch first, then promptly go their separate ways. Gail instantly resurfaces to tidy up after them.

* * *

Elliot enters his apartment holding a small folded paper bag. Not bothering to take off his jacket, he unfolds the bag and pulls out a USB drive. After removing the cap, he approaches his smart television and plugs in the drive.

When the middle-aged man in the dingy jacket and ratty baseball cap first handed him the bag, Elliot couldn't contain his glee. This was the break that he'd been waiting for. It's physical proof that his brother is beyond fucked up. If Ana can't see that, then perhaps the whole world will. Christian Grey's fall would certainly be a long way down.

 _Who'd want to do business with a freak?_

 _Once the world abandons Christian Grey, then perhaps Ana will._

 _Without money and power, he's useless._

It doesn't matter what road this evidence will lead, the end result will be Christian's utter humiliation. It would be far greater than the humiliation Elliot experienced when reading Christian's and Ana's engagement announcement. It had gotten way more coverage than Elliot's and Ana's engagement. Adding insult to injury, his news stories on the engagement came with a dig that Elliot had been with Ana first, yet his womanizing ways ended their relationship.

 _That motherfucker is a man, too—and I have the proof right here._

With remote in hand, Elliot powers on the television and takes a seat on the sofa. He scrolls down to the name of the only file and presses the enter key. The screen turns dark before there is a sound of movement.

Two figures suddenly appear on the screen and the image slowly shifts into focus. One figure is obviously a naked woman on her knees, facing away from the camera. Her hair gathered up in a braided chignon. What's even more shocking than her nudity and vulnerability is the red rope binding her wrists together. A commanding male figure surfaces and stands in front of her. The camera only shows up to his neck. Bare-chested, he's wearing low-hanging jeans that tout his super-toned stomach and deeply cut grooves of his Adonis belt.

 _Sick—this guy is fit as fuck._

The sight causes Elliot to involuntarily scrutinize the tiny inch of fat on his lower abdomen. What impresses him even more than the man is the hourglass shape of the nude brunette. She is perfect, as far as Elliot can tell. Even though there's no sight of breasts and ass crack, she is clearly stark naked on the wooden floor.

 _She is ready and willing to serve the rich motherfucker standing in front of her._

 _This can't be my lame, quiet, innocent little brother._

 _It can't be._

"I'm ready to fuck you now, but I'll let you suck my cock first."

 _Holy shit!_ Elliot's eyes nearly eject from his head. _That's Christian's voice!_

It took heavy cyber-sleuthing on Elliot's source's end to crack into Christian's personal cloud. It required a super-geek overseas to penetrate through the armor of one of the world's leading technologists. GEH and Christian Grey only recruit the best of the best.

 _Les definitely earned his cheddar with this one._

 _This is major._

Without sparing a moment, the woman leans forward. Elliot silently prays to see more of her, but all he gets is a hint of more curvature from her behind. The rest is cut off below.

The male loosens his jeans and tugs them down slightly. Without further ado, the woman latches on to him, the angle obscuring her face and his shaft. Her head bobs slow and deep with intensity, and the man, Elliot's brother, grabs hold of her hair with both hands.

"That's it. Good girl. So good…"

Elliot holds on to the sofa to keep from falling to the floor. Even though he can't see her or his brother in action, Elliot can tell that this girl is sucking the hell out of his brother's cock. In fact, he has never seen a girl suck a dick so good. Her head is bobbing like a shark out of water as she makes loud slurping sounds.

 _Who is she?_

 _Is it the girl from the strip club?_

 _Hell, I should've had her suck me off, too._

"Greedy girl… you're trying to make me come in your mouth, aren't you?" Christian says with a steady voice. "You want to swallow it all, don't you?"

The girl nods adamantly, but she doesn't stop sucking him off. Even though she can't touch him back, she seems to be relishing in the feel of him inside her mouth. The very sight of it is otherworldly. Elliot would feel dirtier watching this if he were able to see his brother's face. Otherwise, it may be the best beginning of any porno he's ever watched.

It also serves as a peek behind _The Wizard's_ curtain. Elliot could never fathom the most powerful man in Seattle behaving like a feral sexual beast. The quiet, virginal kid is the exact opposite of what Elliot always believed. This moment in time is fucking up Elliot's mind like the guy on the screen plans on doing to the submissive girl.

 _"_ _How old is the footage, Les?"_

 _"_ _A couple years old, according to the metadata."_

 _"_ _Dates are crucial here. Find out, then trace the time back to the chick that my brother was linked to. Once we bring this damning evidence to the female, she will shit on that NDA. If she refuses to tell us what we want to hear, we'll send copies to her boss, coworkers, pastor, and grandmother."_

Elliot's exchange from hours earlier rings clear. If this footage doesn't show faces, the next one Les finds has to. If not, Les and team will have to keep on digging until they find gold.

 _But this is still something._

 _It's just the beginning of the video._

The man on screen steps away from the girl, quickly tucks in his goods, and steps behind her. With only his chin and mouth in view, the man whispers something in the female's ear. She nods in response. Then suddenly…

 **Thwack!**

He strikes her hard on the ass. The female gasps as if the wind were knocked out of her.

 _Oh, snap!_

He hits her again. And again. And again. The male continues and doesn't relent, while the girl's cries get louder and louder. But it's not a painful cry. It's something else. Whatever it is, the sound causes Elliot to feel very uncomfortable in his jeans.

 _Fuck no—I'm not jacking off to my little brother's sex tape!_

 _Fucking gross!_

When he's done tanning her hide, the man on screen steadies the girl to her feet, pulling her up by her arm. He cups her breasts and turns her sideways. When the guy unbuttons his jeans once more, Elliot bears witness to the equipment he's working with.

 _What?!_

 _No!_

 _What the fuck is that?!_

 _That is_ _ **not**_ _real!_

 _That's a fucking hammer!_

The guy slides into the girl and starts fucking her like a champ. The girl screams non-stop.

" _Fuuuuuckkk_ ," Christian's voice drags. "You're _so_ fucking wet…"

The female is unable to speak words; she can only express loud vocalizations of extreme pleasure.

 _I've fucked many bitches, but never like that._ Elliot can't believe his eyes and ears. He's just grateful the camera isn't angled where he has to stare at his little brother's ass and balls the whole time. On the flip side, he wouldn't mind catching a glimpse of the girl's tits, which are still cupped by strong, male hands.

"You're about to come, aren't you?" Christian gruffs. "Not yet."

"Holy fuck, he has bitches coming on cue?!" Elliot's inside voice is now out.

"Oh…oh my God! Oh God!" the girl screams.

"That's it. Right there. Now you can come," Christian coaches.

The brunette screams her release, and the male slows down his thrust.

"One more time," he commands. "And I'll come, too. You want it inside your pussy?"

"Yes!" she screams.

"Beg."

"Please! I want your cum inside my pussy!"

"Good girl."

Elliot stares at the screen with wide eyes and mouth just as his brother's profile comes in view to kiss the girl on the cheek. Just as fast as it shows up, it's gone, and he's back to thrusting hard. Christian skillfully holds the wobbly brunette so she can't fall, and Elliot makes a mental note to screen capture the frame containing the side Christian's face later.

 _If only he really showed his face._

 _Nobody is going to believe what I'm seeing._

Even if his ex-fiancée doesn't believe that her current fiancé has the sexual appetite of a mountain lion, Elliot knows that the sex tape isn't a total bust. In fact, a _Christian Grey sex tape_ would generate tons of money on the black market.

 _Maybe I can finally buy him out of Grey Construction?_

 _That's one way to untangle myself from the prick._

 _I need to be my own man._

 _I'm by no means lesser than him._

 _In fact, I'm greater than him._

 _I've always felt greater._

"Oh, God…I'm coming!" The woman screams, snatching Elliot away from his thoughts.

"Don't," Christian orders. "Wait for me."

As the girl screams, Elliot's tongue is about to fall out of his mouth. He doesn't know if he should be mad at his brother or salute him.

 _Dude is a beast. Wow. I never knew he had it in him._

"Now you can come," Christian orders.

The brunette loses it, and he stills his hips after pumping three final times. The female whimpers for some time, and Christian continues holding her up. Meanwhile, Elliot tries to understand what he just saw.

 _This video is pre-Ana. It's degrading, yet masterful. Lil' bro has skills. He's talking dirty to her, and she's screaming her head off. This slut loved everything he was doing to her, and Christian loved doing it._

 _What are the limits to his depravity? Is the dude really an evil mastermind with a twisted sexual appetite? Hell, he did have dozens of girls sign an NDA. We managed to track five of them, but none of them are talking. None of them will admit to being Christian's submissives._

 _Wow—this is who he really is behind closed doors._

 _Can Ana ever compete with that?_

 _My Ana?_

 _My missionary Ana?_

 _Bro is going to get bored with her if he isn't already._

 _Ana needs to see this._

Then a thought hits him like an anvil on the crown of his head.

 _Holy shit…is Christian doing this to her?!_

 _Is she getting roughed up and liking it?_

 _No._

 _Impossible._

 _Ana is not a screamer._

Suddenly, the screen fades to black.

"Shit."

Elliot promptly picks up the remote and rewinds to the part where Christian kisses the girl. Elliot hits pause, freezing the frame. _It's him._ He knows beyond the shadow of a doubt that this is his brother. _But will anyone else believe it?_ It's difficult for Elliot to tell.

Elliot is beyond desperate to stop Christian's and Ana's upcoming nuptials by any means necessary. He's eager to prove that he can win Ana back for himself and show her that he's able to give her what she needs, too.

 _Who's that girl in the video?_

 _Whoever she is just might be my ticket._

He fast-forwards through the footage and sees an already fast-thrusting guy pound the girl even faster. Unable to find a clearer view of her, Elliot stops the video. He mistakenly hits the play button instead of stop, and the screen is black again. Before he presses the square button, he hears a sound. The audio on the video is still going.

"Don't you dare fall asleep on the floor," Elliot hears his younger brother's voice say sternly.

"I won't," the female voice laughs.

 _That laugh_.

Elliot narrows his eyes in confusion.

"How did I do?" she asks sleepily.

"You were absolutely sensational, baby," Christian says before a loud smack.

 _He kissed her._

"I can't wait to play it back for you. Did you like that?" Christian croons.

"Hell yeah. Let's do that again," the woman giggles. "I love you, Mr. Grey."

"I love you more, Miss Steele," he croons back.

"What?!" Elliot hollers out at the top of his lungs.

"What the fuck?!"

* * *

 ** _A/N: Hi! Didn't expect another update so soon, huh? You just might get another one of these this week, so stay tuned!_**

 ** _In the next chapter, we'll turn things up another notch. Something significant happens. I won't spoil it here, but maybe I will in my Storie Tells All FB group if you ask nicely. ;) This 'thing' is something that I didn't think I would do, but the opportunity to take the story in this direction was just too good to pass up._**

 ** _Until next time, thanks for reading! – ST2_**


	16. Chapter 16

**Chapter 16** **–Ex-Communicate**

 _That motherfucker set me up!_

Two days after Les handed Elliot what turned out to be a sex tape starring no other than Christian and Ana, the highly-paid sleuth came back with more of the same. There were incredibly sexy email exchanges between the engaged couple. Then, there's the recorded audio retrieved from Ana's phone. On it was plenty of screams, moans, and a barrage of filthy sex talk.

 _"Faster!"_

 _*grunts* "Baby, I just love fucking this exquisite cunt. **Mine** …"_

 _"Oh my God… Pleeeease…choke meeeee!"_

 _*pants* "Shit! *growls* Fuck!"_

 _*gasps* "Ahhhhh! Fuck me, Christian! Fuck me hard! Oh, my God!"_

 _Jesus Christ! Do these two ever quit?!_

Elliot's rage after listening to that was boundless.

Then, there was a second sex video that began with what appeared to be Ana's back once more. Like before, the videographer was very meticulous—extra careful not to expose any more of their muse than what they wanted to show. There were traces of the curvature of her magnificent ass and breasts without a single glimpse of crack or nipples. She was careful not to turn herself one way or the other, lest she'd expose her face or a particular part of her anatomy. One thing that stood out more than anything: Her naked porcelain skin was dripping with diamond jewels. Even a sexually adventurous Elliot couldn't stomach what happened next.

When the male, Christian, began fucking the female, Ana, hard against the wall like a slab of raw meat, all while clenching her throat and making her come at the drop of a hat, it was all that Elliot could stand. Elliot surmised the point his brother was making. In reality, Christian was letting the viewer know that it's about pleasing _her_ first. But that's not what Elliot took away. If Christian dropped trou and pissed all over Ana, it would've had the same effect. In Elliot's eyes, his younger brother was outright goading. To Elliot, it was as if the six-year-old little boy told his ten-year-old big brother, _'I took your favorite Hot Wheels collection, and you can never have it back!'_

Elliot is now more determined than ever to reclaim what he believes is rightfully his. Either that or he will utterly destroy that very thing so that neither he nor Christian can have it.

Les and company continue to one brick wall after the other following the latest data retrieval. He explained this to Elliot in person yesterday at their usual meet-up spot.

 _"This guy's cybersecurity is ten thousand times tighter than The Pentagon. Even WikiLeaks couldn't crack it."_

It would be one of the last things Les would say to Elliot before getting fired earlier this afternoon.

Elliot is confident that his brother planted all those files. Christian has remained one step ahead at every turn. Everything Les' cyber-stalkers got their hands on featured Christian and Elliot's former fiancée exclusively. Elliot guesses that the metadata attached to the videos was forged to make the files appear much older than what they were. In reality, nothing that Les lifted was older than this past summer. Either Christian had done an extensive data scrub, or all his earlier, more incriminating data was neatly tucked away and sealed tight.

 _I wonder if Ana has any idea this dude is putting her out there like a slut._

 _She'd be pissed if she knew._

 _Maybe I should send all this shit to her with a note._

 _Or…what if I gave all this content to the highest bidder? The Nooz would go apeshit over **two** Christian Grey sex tapes, regardless of who or what is visible. Any digital forensics expert could deduce that Christian Grey is the guy in these videos._

Elliot knew he'd have to brace himself for the plethora of media coverage on how well his brother sexually pleased his former fiancée. It would more than likely become an annoying social media love-fest for the one and only Christian Grey, having the total opposite effect of what Elliot intended.

 _There's no way in hell I'm giving this asshole any positive media coverage._

In the here and now, Elliot works on his laptop, dragging files from one USB drive to his hard drive, and then transferring it to a brand-new USB drive. During the process, he thinks about what he wants to say in his note to Ana. He knows that his words will have to reach her core and make her feel that Christian Grey is the worst thing ever for someone as kind and innocent as her.

At this stage of the game, the only thing that will cut Christian down to the bone is losing Ana. That had been the end-goal for Elliot anyway, but he needed a new plan to get there.

 _Ana will never take my word for it. She needs to hear it from someone else's mouth…_

 _A strong, reputable source._

That's when it hits him.

 _Mrs. Lincoln._

As a teenager, Christian spent more time working in the Lincoln's yard than he did anything else. Many years later, it would come out that Elena Lincoln, who used to be very good friends with Elliot's mother, was being inappropriate with under-aged boys. The longtime-divorced desperate housewife is now hiding away somewhere in Europe.

Back when the scandalous news about Elena first broke, Grace grilled her two sons over Sunday dinner.

 _"I never knew she was capable of doing such horrendous things. It seems so uncharacteristic of her. I would've given her the benefit of the doubt any day of the week. But her escaping charges by hiding out overseas makes her look very suspect. An innocent person would never flee to another country and go disappear from the radar. Instead, they would stay and fight the false allegations. I'm going to ask you a tough question, but please be open and honest with me. Did Mrs. Lincoln ever do anything inappropriate with you when you were young boys?"_

Grace would focus most of her attention on Christian being that he spent the most time with Elena. He would deny that anything ever happened. But now, Elliot suspects that Christian was remaining tight-lipped. The two were always close, even as adults. When their parents were against Christian dropping out of Harvard, Elena was his first investor. And when he made his first half-million, he paid his mentor back by investing in her chain of hair salons. Christian ended up selling them to the highest bidder once Mrs. Lincoln skipped town.

 _Elena Lincoln knows something about my little brother_ , Elliot contemplates.

 _Perhaps I do have use for Les after all._

* * *

 _(The next day)_

 ** _Dear Ana,_**

 ** _Please open the contents of the enclosed drive.  
Your 'man' is using you as his sick and perverted fuck toy.  
He's recording you for his filthy use.  
Lovemaking should be personal and not for all to see._**

 ** _If these videos were to ever get into the wrong hands…_**

Sitting on the sofa by the fireplace, Ana places the note on her lap. She turns to her left to look at Christian. The two of them remain dressed in their office attire. Christian is sans jacket and tie, while Ana is barefoot in a cream silk blouse and navy pencil skirt.

"Those videos seemed like a good idea at the time. I wasn't so sure that he'd move over to cyber-criminal territory. Now that he has, I'm worried about what he'll do next."

"There's nothing he can do to hurt us," Christian says in his usual steady, authoritative voice. He snatches the unguarded note from Ana's lap and stands. Soon, he's ripping it up into several pieces and tossing it into the fireplace. The embers immediately dissolve the strips of paper into ash. "If anything, he'll be the one looking like a creep in the public eye for stealing his brother's and future sister-in-law's most intimate moments."

Before the videos were uploaded to the server by Christian's data security team, Ana watched them from start to finish. It was the sexiest thing she'd ever seen. Nothing on Pornhub could ever compare. Even though Ana was there, she found it difficult to believe that the woman in the video was her.

Elliot had seen her naked before, but Christian was especially careful not to give his older adoptive brother any reminders. Her body belonged to Christian now. Even the small bit of skin Christian allowed was deemed too much by the overly-jealous billionaire.

Christian had been extremely transparent with his fiancée as of late. When he first got a tip from his IT folks that someone was trying hard to crack into his network, he had a hunch who it was. There was no way this person was looking for GEH trade secrets. Someone was looking to damage his reputation.

 _Anyone with a fucking brain would know that I'd never have very personal files in a place where some two-bit hacker could access them. We've seen the stories of countless celebrities having their most intimate moments stolen from the cloud and exposed for all the world to see._

Christian thought he'd let his brother know first-hand how happy his ex-girlfriend has been these days. He only needed Ana's buy-in. It was quite the task trying to convince her, but what reassured her the most was the nature of her overprotective fiancé. His jealous ways would ensure that none of her private parts were exposed, even her face.

The result was a work of art. The videos were filthy and beautiful all at once, exemplifying the couple's true relationship in the bedroom. Christian had edited the videos himself. He would never trust another soul seeing Ana, his pride and joy, at her most vulnerable. He had to make certain to show nothing while revealing everything at the same time. It was just enough to show Elliot what he was dealing with.

 _He thought he knew Ana, but he never really knew her at all._

 _And now, she's all mine._

 _I've made it my sole purpose to know every nook and cranny of my future wife—  
Mind, body, and soul._

* * *

"Baby."

"What?"

A shirtless, pajama-bottomed Christian teases his black-nightie-clad fiancée. He lords his solid body over hers, pinning her wrists firmly to their bed.

"Let's _wrassle._ "

Ana rolls her eyes as she recalls being humiliated. The children at the hospital had the gumption to ask about her and Mr. Grey's sex life the last time she was there.

"Oh, God. I'm irritated that you left me hanging with the kids last time. I had to fend for myself. Thankfully, Grace came in and saved the day."

Christian chuckles. "I like that Tyler kid."

"Just wait until you have a _Tyler_ of your own."

Ana meant it as a joke. The moment Christian's playful grin morphs into molten lava, she shivers.

"Let's make a baby."

"You're kidding."

She didn't think he could be any more smoldering, but as always, he exceeds her expectations.

"Does it look like I'm playing?"

Ana gapes like a deer in high beams. "Well, that could be difficult being that I have an IUD. I also need to be able to fit into my wedding dress in eight months."

"We'll get you another dress just like it and sew the two together."

If Ana's hand were free, she would slap him across the head. He chuckles at the frustrated look etched on her face.

"Nothing would be more beautiful than seeing you waddle down the aisle with our baby growing inside of you."

Ana's expression lightens. "Are you trying to go out of order, Grey? Didn't you learn the old nursery rhyme as a little boy? 'First comes love… Then comes marriage…'"

"I've loved you for nearly two-and-a-half years, Anastasia. We've already wasted so much time."

With both pain and adoration cascading out of him, he lowers his face down and steals a passionate kiss from his future wife's lips. When their lips part, Ana is breathless.

"We have forever," she whispers. "Can't it just be _us_ —at least for our first year or two of marriage? I'm only twenty-six. I have plenty of time to bear children."

Christian kisses her again, for longer this time. When he rises and stares down at her, his expression hardens. Ana's face twists in confusion. He genuinely looks perturbed, and it alarms her.

"I can't believe that asshole made you implant a foreign object into your body. Why you? If anything, he should've made Katherine or Gretchen do it. They were the ones who ended up pregnant…that we know of, anyway."

To his surprise, Ana fights a smile.

"You should be glad he made me do it. Or else, I might have been the mother of your nieces or nephews as opposed to your children."

He groans in agony. "Jesus. Don't put that image in my head. I still can't believe you let him…" Christian shakes his head as if the nauseating thought would slam down to the floor.

"I met him first," Ana kindly reminds him. "We were together for two years. We were engaged."

"You must want me to vomit all over you." His eyes are as narrow as they can be as he battles a mixture of anguish and red hot anger. "We were destined to be together, no matter how it happened. Even if that fucker managed to get you down the aisle, it wouldn't have lasted. I'd still end up taking what's rightfully mine."

Irritated, Ana tries to yank her wrists from Christian's hold. He presses down tighter and suppresses her entire body with his, making it difficult for her to move even a little bit. He was a solid mass, a brick house to her delicate flower. When his lips press firmly against her throat, she works hard to keep herself from hyperventilating. She wiggles, and he rocks his erection against her thigh. She shudders with desire.

"I believe we were destined to be together, too," she murmurs. "But what if…"

He stills and locks fiery gray eyes with conflicted blue ones.

"Fuck 'what ifs.' We won, Ana. We navigated through all the bullshit and finally found each other. Don't take us back into the dark ages. Unless Elliot has a time machine to unfuck himself, we don't have to go there. We _never_ have to go there."

 _We won._

Ana lets her true love's words echo through the chambers of her mind. Usually, peace accompanies a victory. Although the man of her dreams lies on top of her, she feels a dark cloud hovering over them. She wonders if the impending storm will shift, or if it will remain and end up destroying them. No doubt, a storm is looming.

Not giving her a chance to speak, he shoves his tongue down her throat and devours her with an obscene kiss. He feels her body quiver underneath him and wants nothing more than to crawl inside of her so that they are physically one. He pivots his hips, positioning his erection between her thighs. After a minute of crashing his restrained angry cock against her weeping sex, he feels her wetness through his pajama pants.

"Fuck, you're drenched," Christian rasps.

He releases his hands from hers and swiftly lifts her nightie up to her breasts. Ana's hands raise and dig into his messy copper mane. When his hands reach her thong, she anticipates that he will lower them. Instead, he rips her crotch in two.

"Dammit, Christian… Another pair ruined."

Her words were meant to scold, but her tone was laced with yearning. He growls in response.

"You know better than to wear panties to bed. If you like them, stop making that error. In fact, anything you wear to bed is subject to ruin."

 _But you paid for them_ , she argued with him in her head. In reality, she had no time to gripe. His hands immediately clasp the lacy fabric at her neckline. She groans as he rips her expensive nightie, which he also paid for, right down the middle. Her breasts spring free, and Christian's mouth swoops down to suck on one.

Ana is on fire as he undulates his hips against her while sucking hard on both breasts. Lately, they'd been taking their time with foreplay. Tonight, a switch had flipped in Christian. There was a greater sense of urgency. It was as if he would die if he couldn't get to the center of Ana fast enough. She moans, and he swiftly removes his PJ pants and boxer briefs. Before she has a chance to exhale, her thighs push back, and Christian plunges deep into her. The mewl she releases is capable of luring every male feline within a five-mile radius.

"Home," he hums. " _My_ home."

He starts thrusting, fast and hard. Ana screams his name as his gray eyes bore into her, mesmerized by what he was seeing. She looks just as desperate as he was feeling. With that, he raises one hand over her and takes her throat, squeezing it. Her insides pulsate around him, letting him know that it won't be long before she comes.

"Yeah—that's it. Take your dick like a good girl."

He squeezes her neck harder as he watches her lose herself in what they are doing. His other hand cups one of her breasts.

"I love watching your pretty tits bounce around while I fuck you hard."

Ana couldn't form words due to losing her breath, literally. He swoops down and gives her free nipple a quick suck before rising back up and digging his knees further into the mattress. He gives her body two earth-shattering pumps before Ana explodes. She comes like the sound of an angel's trumpet.

After three more thrusts, he releases her throat. She wheezes, and he pulls out of her. He hovers over her like a lord, and frantically jerks his cock over her breasts. Ana feels weightless but opens her mouth in hopes of him sharing some of his sweet-and-salty essence with her tongue.

It boggles Christian's mind how insatiable this woman is. How unguarded she is when it comes to sex. She wasn't like this in the beginning. It didn't take her long to come barreling out of her shell. The very thought of that, coupled with relishing in her tight and wet channel, _and_ the beautiful way in which she came was enough to do him in. Ropes of warm seed shoot out all over her breasts, her clavicle, her chin, and her mouth.

"Fuck!" Christian punches the oak headboard with force, startling Ana.

"Wha—"

Christian growls like a grizzly bear, ignoring the throb taking place in his hand. Before Ana can ask what's wrong, he is gliding his length back inside of her. She whimpers in both pain and blissful satisfaction as she massages his cum into her skin like a salve.

"You feel so goddamn good," he grits. "Better than _life_. I don't know how I lived a single day without fucking you. Just the thought of me being without you makes me want to tear this whole world apart. I want to crawl inside of you and live there. I'm fucking you again; then I'm falling asleep while still inside of you."

Ana wants to laugh, but she's too tired and sore. She is also famished for everything this man is so desperate to give her.

* * *

"Get back up here."

Swaddled in the duvet, Ana stares at the beautiful man looking down from the edge of the bed. She blinks several times, realizing that she must've passed out for several minutes of sleep after falling to the floor. The last orgasm had literally thrown her on her ass. She answers Christian with a lazy smile.

"I'm staying here, where it's safe," she murmurs.

"No part of you is ever safe from me. Those breasts. That sweet cunt. That gorgeous mouth. That tight a…"

"Christian," Ana giggles. "I just want to sleep." She eyes the dim clock on the nightstand before looking back at him. "It's after two, and I have to go to work in the morning."

"No, you don't."

"Yeah. I do. I have my final panel interview at ten. I'm already going to have dark circles around my eyes as it is. I'd at least like to have the capacity to think when the interviewers ask me a question."

"You'll do fine," he assures her.

"Shit…speaking of marks." Ana's hands emerge from the duvet and smooth over the skin of her neck. "Marks?"

Christian responds by narrowing his gaze.

"Hell," she whispers. "I guess I'll have to wear a dark-colored blouse if I want to add concealer. Either that or pull a Steve Jobs. Yeah…a turtleneck will do."

"The interview is just a formality."

Her mouth and eyes gape, no longer minding her fatigue. She is wide awake now.

"What are you talking about?"

Dread fills her brain. If her fiancé took away the opportunity for her to earn a director position on her own merit, she wouldn't know what to do. Before she'd met anyone named _Grey_ , Ana had been the hardest working claims agent at Mylegent. Her dependability and top-notch customer service had the management team sending VIP clients her way, even though it was beyond her pay grade. It was how she ended up meeting Elliot, which was both a curse and a beautiful blessing.

Ana's solid work ethic propelled her career faster than any other young Mylegent employee in recent history. She had the opportunity to reach senior- management-level sooner. However, she ended up placing her rapid career growth on hold for a relationship that was doomed from the start.

When Ana decided to leave Elliot for good, she made a promise to herself. She would never put herself in last place ever again. Doing that had set a negative precedent. How could a man ever put her first if she didn't put herself first? The second Elliot's smoke cloud cleared, Ana was left feeling bare. The sacrifices she made were all for naught.

She wasn't going to make the same mistake twice.

And she wasn't going to let the man she loves, or anyone else, steal her dignity ever again.

Her shock morphs into righteous anger, causing Christian to wince.

"If you're going to tell me that you used your power and name to give me the advantage over the other two applicants…"

Christian cut her off. "I didn't."

Ana's face twists in confusion. He clarifies his statement.

"I just know how corporate politics work. I'll be the majority shareholder of the company real soon. The SafeDriver beta is testing extremely well, and the company's stock value is on the rise. They'd be stupid not to hire the fiancée of the guy who will soon be the head of the board."

Ana turns away from the man looming over her and curls up on her side. She's exhausted in every way—physically, mentally. Emotionally. She hears the rumple of the mattress above her before feet drop to the floor. Christian curls his body with hers from behind. He holds her tighter than the duvet enveloping her before pulling her hair to the side and planting two soft kisses on her neck.

"Don't ever doubt yourself or your ability," he whispers in her ear. "People will talk shit and think whatever they want to think. But only you and I know the truth."

"Should I leave Mylegent?"

His body stiffens. "Ana…"

"I mean, I can easily go somewhere else where you're not running the show. Another insurance agency, like _Pro-Lyfic_."

Christian's sigh sounds more like a laugh. He kisses her neck again. "They're going to want SafeDriver after the exclusive contract with Mylegent runs out. I'll have influence at Pro-Lyfic, too."

She groans in frustration. "Maybe this is a sign that I need to be doing what I went to school for. I hadn't planned on staying at Mylegent for this long. I had hoped to be working in publishing by now."

His lips graze the warm lobe of the contemplative woman in his arms.

"Is that what you truly want? I thought you were happy where you are."

"I am," she breathily replies. "I'm really good at my job, and I love that we are helping people."

"Then you should stay where you are. If you're happy, why leave?"

Without warning, Christian mounts her, bringing the two of them face to face. Her heart skips a beat at the sight of him. His arresting gray eyes have the power to pierce through anyone's bullshit. His chiseled face and wild copper sex hair couldn't be replicated. It was all him, and _he_ was _all hers_. Still, being the future wife of the sexiest billionaire alive wasn't as easy it as seemed. Included in the package is a severe case of megalomania that was impossible for Ana to contend with. How could she own her individuality with this man of hers always pulling strings—both wittingly and unwittingly? It had been so easy for her to stand on her own two feet back when she was single.

Christian was larger than life. There would be no _'me'_ in her vocabulary. It would be _Christian and Ana_ , or _Mrs. Grey_. No matter what endeavor she decided to embark on in terms of a career, she would forever be _Christian Grey's wife_. The thought of permanently losing her own identity frightened her.

Christian could tell that the wheels of her mind were in overdrive. Doubt was creeping into her, and he saw it. He pleads with her with his eyes and words.

"I want you to be happy."

"I know," she breathes.

"I have my own selfish desires," he smirks. "It would be a dream come true if you decided to stay home and not work at all—but that isn't you. You also have no desire to work for my company, which I completely understand. I want you to be happy, no matter where you decide to work. You are very fortunate we didn't meet four years ago."

"Why do you say that?"

"Because I would have bought every single company that hired you."

Ana laughs. "But you _did_ do that."

"SafeDriver had been in the works for many years. I had no idea which insurance firm we would partner with to launch it."

Ana gives him a skeptical look. "Until…"

"Until," he picks up, "I met you. It was the only way I could get closer to you. You were with..."

He can't bring himself to say it. Ana feels his agony. She groans at the reminder of being a heartbeat away from marrying his brother. Christian's painful expression reflects exactly how she feels on the inside. Her time with Elliot seemed to be a lifetime ago. It was a bitter memory with nothing sweet about it. What kept her from going insane was knowing that her storm with Elliot had yielded a harvest of indescribable love. Christian loves her as no other human had before. His love snuffed out all the pain like a hand smothering a candle's flame. It was why those broken-hearted days became a haze. The dull ache she once felt was long gone.

The smile in her eyes chases away Christian's sorrow. _She is here. She is never going to leave._ Wherever she went in this world, he would follow. They were finally together like he'd dreamt of. They would soon be husband and wife— _but not soon enough_ , he thought. He believed they were so strong together that nothing the universe lobbed their way would ever rip them apart.

"Just so you know, I have nothing to do with your panel interview," he assures. "It's all you. I have nothing to do with any success that comes your way at Mylegent."

Ana sighs. "I just hope I don't screw up. If I land the job…"

"When," he corrects her.

"…I will more than likely be involved in all the SafeDriver management meetings."

Christian beams down at her. "And nothing would be better than seeing your beautiful face in the middle of the day on a regular basis. I wish I could see it twenty-four seven."

"You have pictures of me on your desk," she teases.

"Several," he grins proudly. "And it still doesn't beat the real thing."

Ana blushes at his praise, and he steals a kiss from her lips.

"One last go to put you to sleep," he says with a seductive smirk. "We can fuck here on the floor, or I can toss you into bed. Your choice."

Ana smiles and pretends to ponder with a forefinger pressed to her chin.

"Throw me in bed and put me to sleep quickly, Mr. Grey. The future of my career depends on it."

* * *

Ana exits the boardroom, walking tall in a royal blue St. John skirt and blazer ensemble. With a leather portfolio in her arm and a confident grin on her face, she gives a whole new meaning to the term _power suit_. Her GM Bill Marsden wasn't traditionally a smiler, but he was all teeth in that room with Ana. His expression could be mistaken for pride. In the end, he promised Ana that she'd have her answer by Tuesday. The next three days were shaping up to be a nail-biter for her.

Tammy startles Ana the moment she turns the corner.

"Jesus, Tam. You scared me."

"How did it go?" Ana's good friend appears to be more excited about the prospect of Ana landing the director job than she is.

"I think it went well. I was nervous going in, but I got a sudden boost of energy and didn't hesitate once when the panel grilled me. I played my answers back in my head and decided that I didn't sound like a complete idiot."

Tammy laughs. "You are always too hard on yourself. I'm sure you kicked ass in there."

Ana flashes a skeptical grin and shrugs. "Is it time for lunch yet? I pretended to eat this morning, so Christian would leave me alone. In reality, I was too nervous to eat breakfast."

Tammy checks her watch. "It's just after eleven. I don't mind taking an early lunch. You want to go now?"

"Sure," Ana nods.

"Hey—wanna know who your competition is?"

Ana nips the topic right in the bud. "Nope."

"Doesn't matter anyway. The job is yours to lose. By the way, I heard they are interviewing external candidates this afternoon for the second director position."

"I heard that as well," Ana confirms. "Apparently, they need someone on the executive team capable of offering a broader perspective with the launch of SafeDriver on the horizon."

"Makes sense."

As the two ladies proceed towards the elevator, a receptionist leads a man in a suit towards the boardroom. Ana is preoccupied with thoughts of lunch to give the man a second glance. However, Tammy proceeds to ogle him. As soon as the two walk past, Tammy whispers to her friend.

"Holy crap. I hope he gets that other spot. We definitely need more eye candy in here."

Ana frowns at her friend just as she turns to steal another look. Tammy suddenly stiffens.

"Shit—he stopped walking. He saw me looking," Tammy murmurs through her teeth, thoroughly embarrassed.

Ana shakes her head. "Come on." Just as she starts to walk away, a male voice calls out her name.

"Ana?"

"God…another hot guy who knows you?" Tammy tries hard to restrain a squeal.

Ana spins on her heel to look at the man standing several feet behind her. He is quite the looker. Standing tall, he wears a pristine black suit and carries a black leather portfolio similar to Ana's. His brown hair and closely shaved beard are neatly trimmed. Ana is puzzled for a beat. _Where do I know this guy?_ The moment his smile finally registers, her jaw nearly falls to the floor.

"Doug?"

"Ana!"

The man happily takes long strides towards her and embraces her with a hearty hug. Ana quickly steps back to check if her eyes were deceiving her.

"You look _amazing_. _Wow_."

There is a spark in his eye as he assesses her from head to toe. Ana is too frazzled to thank him for the compliment. She jumps right into the question that sits on her tongue.

"Wha…what are you doing here? I thought you lived in California?"

"I moved back to Washington in February. I'm here to interview for a director position. You work for Mylegent?"

A stunned Ana nods her response.

"How long have you been here?"

"Since six months after graduation."

"Man," he gasps. "That is so cool. I'm actually here a few minutes early. Are you on your way to a meeting?"

Ana shakes her head. "I just got out of the boardroom. I interviewed for the other director position."

The attractive man's broad smile overtakes his face. "That's awesome! I hope you get it. And I really hope I get this one. It would be so amazing to work with you."

She remains in a state of shock but tries her hardest to push through it by answering with an enthusiastic nod. "Yeah…that would be— _so_ great."

"Mr. Dorsey—the panel will be ready to see you in just a minute," the receptionist says as she steps away from the door closing behind her.

"Thank you," Doug says.

"Good luck." Ana says the words, uncertain if she means them. Her confused emotions have practically cemented her to the floor.

"Same to you. Man, this is exciting. Can we talk more when I'm done? Will you be in around in an hour?"

Ana desperately wants to tell him _no_ but thinks better of it. If Doug does get the job, it won't serve her well to blow him off. She might as well make nice with a potential colleague while she can.

"Yep. My office is right down the hall. Ask any of the receptionists, and they'll direct you to it."

"Great. See you in an hour."

Before she can move, Doug holds her elbow, keeping her in place. Ana is startled as he blatantly stares at her neck. He spies a hint of purple underneath layers of makeup. He gently glides a finger across the mark, and Ana immediately shakes away from him.

"What's that?"

When Ana blushes, his concern shifts over to stunned amusement.

"See you in an hour, Doug."

Ana finally makes her way towards the elevator. It's not until her arm is pulled again that she remembers Tammy.

"Excuse me, ma'am… Who was that? And _how rude_. You didn't introduce us. You definitely have some explaining to do."

"That's Doug."

Tammy throws a hand on her hip and shifts her stance to once side.

"I heard as much. But who is he? How do you know him?"

"Doug, Tammy," Ana says, staring a hole into her friend's forehead. "It's Doug."

The petite blonde tests the name in her head. When realization finally hits, she nearly stumbles.

" _That's_ Doug?! The ex from college?!"

Ana shushes her. "Keep it down."

"Holy crap! You didn't tell me he looked like _that_!"

"I've never seen him with a beard," Ana whispers. "He looks _so_ different."

Tammy's excited expression suddenly fades.

"For Doug's sake, he better hope he doesn't get that job."

Ana frowns. "What are you talking about? I mean…I don't want to say that I hope he doesn't get it. You know—bad karma and all that. Being that I just got out of an interview myself. But it would be _extremely_ awkward working alongside someone whom I dated for a couple of years while in college."

"You're getting that job, without a doubt," Tammy vows. "But if _he_ gets the other spot, your fiancé is gonna be _pissed_ ," Tammy drawls.

Ana laughs. "No way. He is ancient history. Christian won't even care. And I'm certain the guy is in a relationship, just as I am."

Tammy tugs Ana's wrists and forces her to look her in the eye.

"Listen to me. From one married woman to a soon-to-be-married woman. Your man isn't going to like you working alongside your ex."

* * *

Elliot sat in a metal chair outside of a quaint pink brick café. The mild fifty-degree Fahrenheit weather still warranted him wearing his dark brown fall trench. His coffee guest was running twenty minutes behind. Had he known she'd keep him waiting, he would've gotten an extra hour of sleep.

Less than twenty-four hours ago, he had taken the next non-stop flight to Paris. Nearly ten hours in the air had taken its toll. Being left alone with his racing thoughts was taxing. Thankfully, he had a distraction during the last two hours of the flight. That distraction came in the form of a French blonde who took a liking to him. She'd lit up when he informed her that his Airbnb was located in Montmartre. They exchanged email addresses with the hope of linking up sometime tomorrow. His return flight to Seattle wasn't until late Sunday.

Looking beyond a group of passersby, he saw a familiar figure approaching. A smile inched across his face as she drew nearer. He reflexively stood, keeping his sights on her. This beautiful older blonde did stuck-up better than anyone else. Personifying sophistication and elegance, she wore a lilac mohair tweed Chanel suit, and her grace required her not to mind the stones underneath her feet. The spiked heel of her fancy Louboutins wouldn't dare get stuck, or the cobbled pavement would have hell to pay.

As soon as his face registered, her perma-scowl turns into gaping shock.

"Elliot? What are you doing here?"

"Well, hello there, Mrs. Lincoln," he smiles. "Café au lait?"

She gasps. " _You're_ PI Les McKay's client?"

"In the flesh."

Elliot embraces her with a cheek-to-cheek kiss on both sides before pulling out a chair for her. A server steps out, and he requests two regular coffees with cream and a chocolate croissant in broken French. Mrs. Lincoln corrects him, speaking the language of the natives with ease. The server bows and steps back inside.

"I thought you spoke French?" the older woman purred. "Grace made certain all her children learned a second language."

"My brother and sister studied French," he sighs. "I studied Spanish. I thought it made perfect sense being that more people spoke that language all over the world. If we were in Barcelona right now instead of Paris, I would've ordered the shit out of a café con leche."

Unamused, Mrs. Lincoln cuts straight to the chase.

"First of all, how did you find me? And second, why did you feel the need to lie about who you were? Who sent you?"

The eldest Grey son chuckles at the rapid-fire questioning. The woman's overt paranoia wasn't lost on him. He decides to put her mind at ease.

"Let me start at the end and move my way up. I am here on my own volition. Don't worry. No one else back home knows you're here. I didn't want you to be alarmed, so I had to give you a fake name. I wanted to meet with you face to face. As far as how I found you, I have my ways."

"It doesn't take much to ask your brother."

Elliot's eyes grow wide. "Christian knows where you are?"

Mrs. Lincoln's eyes shut, and she shakes her head in pity. "You really don't know your brother, do you?"

Elliot scoffs. "I guess the fuck not. Does he keep in touch with you?"

She shakes her head. "Indirectly. He and I haven't spoken since his thirtieth birthday over two years ago. He's been ignoring my calls and emails ever since."

Four days after that was Christian's surprise thirtieth birthday party. Elliot had no idea that the night he met Ana changed his brother's entire world. Christian would move heaven and earth to make himself just an iota worthy of her love. That movement included cutting all communication with his exes.

"I have a question for you," Elliot prefaces. "Paris? For fuck's sake, you _really_ aren't trying to hide from anyone. I mean—your entire former inner-circle travels here on a regular basis. My parents vacation here all the time."

Mrs. Lincoln's expression turns somber. "Well, I'm certain Grace isn't all that eager to find me anytime soon. She believes I'm the scum of the earth."

"My mom thinks you fucked the same kids she patches up at Northwest. Do you honestly blame her for not wanting to be your friend?"

The woman is at the brink of walking out before the coffee and croissants arrive.

"Did you come all this way just to bash me, Elliot? You needn't bother. You could have saved the trip. Christian would have given you my number."

Elliot eases up on the woman. "Look, Mrs. Lincoln—I didn't come here to condemn you. I'm here because I could _really_ use your help. If there is anything I can do for you in return, I'll do my damnedest to make it so."

She softens her stance as the server delivers their order. Once the coast is clear, the mature woman speaks out.

"Call me Elena—you're old enough. What is it you need from me?"

Elliot clears his throat. "You and my brother were very close over the years. It doesn't take a rocket scientist to figure out that there was more between you than just a friendship. As a teen, he hung out at your place all the time."

Elena immediately turns cold. "What are you implying, Elliot? Have you spoken to Christian? Does he know you're here?"

"Cut the crap," Elliot growls. "Don't pretend you live off the grid. You know exactly what's been going on back in high-society Seattle. Everyone and their mom knows Christian is currently engaged to my ex. We're not _chatting it up_ like a couple of bros these days."

Elliot studies her for a beat, taking in her look of extreme displeasure. Instead of pressing on, he waits for her to spill her guts.

"He is about to make a grave mistake. Your brother isn't the marrying kind."

A spark of hope ignites in him. If his eyes and ears didn't deceive him, he'd assume Elena Lincoln was taking his brother's impending nuptials much worse than he was. At that moment, she made Elliot's last-minute trip to Paris worthwhile.

"I already know about him being a Dom."

Elena's brows raise toward her hairline before a pleasing smirk inches across her face.

"I ran into a former submissive of his," Elliot reveals. "She revealed a few things, but quickly shut her mouth when she found out that I didn't necessarily share my brother's…um… _tastes_."

As Elliot brings the mug to his mouth, Elena proceeds to take in her surroundings. She's especially paranoid all of a sudden. Confused, Elliot watches as she pulls a pen from her clutch and scribbles something on a napkin. She slides it across the table.

"I have to run. Meet me there at nine o'clock." She stands to leave.

"Wait…"

A stunned Elliot calls out to her, but she doesn't look back once she walks away. He studies the napkin before taking out his phone to map out the location.

 _This is going to be a long night._

* * *

"Hey, honey."

In the great room, Ana grips Christian's bulging biceps and stands on her tiptoes to kiss him on the cheek. He places a palm loosely on her back. Normally, he'd reel her body into his and steal a long passionate kiss from her mouth. Instead, his eyes search for something in hers.

"What's for dinner tonight?" he asks.

"Gail made veal parmigiana."

Christian inhales before removing his suit jacket. "Smells good. How did your interview go this morning?"

Barefoot, but still in her skirt and blouse from this morning, Ana chuckles in delight. "I think I aced it. I'm surprised, really. I thought I'd bomb. It's not like I got enough sleep. By the way, sorry to cancel our date tonight. I'm pretty sure I'll crash once we eat. I'm exhausted."

He flashes her a wolfish grin. "Tonight, I'll let you rest up. Maybe we can do our Friday night ritual tomorrow instead."

Ana nods in agreement. "Sure."

After tossing his jacket on the sofa, he takes Ana by the hand and the two head into the kitchen. They are greeted by Mrs. Jones. The couple takes a seat at the breakfast bar, and Christian reaches inward for the wine bottle. Once two glasses are poured, he holds out his to her for a toast.

"Congratulations to the most beautiful director in the history of directors."

She laughs as they clink glasses. "Not so fast, I don't have the job yet. I'll find out on Tuesday."

"It's in the bag, baby," Christian beams proudly.

"Let's hope so," she exhales.

"Do you know who else competed for the job?"

Ana shook her head. "Tammy heard rumors, but I told her not to tell me."

Christian frowned. "Why not? Nothing wrong with knowing your competition. I bet you'd feel much more confident knowing how inept the other interviewees were."

"That's not true," Ana frowns. "Whoever made it to this round of panels is more than capable of doing that job. The interviewing process at Mylegent is extensive."

"We only do _one_ interview at GEH. We don't need two to separate the duds from the shining stars."

Ana laughs. "That's because you background-check the shit out of them."

Christian purses his lips then shrugs. "As every employer should. Each employee represents you. Why not invest in an infallible background check."

She shakes her head, disagreeing. "It's intrusive, and it has no implication on how an individual will end up being as an employee."

"How so?"

Mrs. Jones places two steaming plates in front of the two, and they each thank her. When she walks away, Ana delivers her response.

"You need to give your new hires the benefit of the doubt. How can you do that when you already have preconceived notions based on some impersonal background check? Someone may have a felony on their record, and all they did was steal a candy bar as a teenager. Why should something like that have a bearing on someone's work ethic as a mature adult?"

"First of all, if it's a stolen candy bar, they wouldn't be charged with a felony. It wouldn't even be classified as a misdemeanor."

"You know what I mean," Ana smirks. "Maybe it was a PlayStation and a few games or something…I don't know. But they were a kid when it happened."

Christian frowns. "I still wouldn't want a klepto working for my company. I don't care when they stole it. Once a thief, always a thief."

Ana can't fight back her grin. "So, are you telling me that I shouldn't ignore the things _you've_ done in the past? You of all people don't believe one has the capacity to change?"

 _She got me there_ , he thought.

"Touche." He reaches in for Ana's closest hand and presses it to his lips. "I'm so lucky you are a much better human than I am."

The two proceed to discuss how the other's day went over a delicious hot meal. For dessert, Mrs. Jones brought out tiramisu. Ana was so stuffed that she let down the zipper on her skirt.

"God," she groans. "I could pass out right here on the table."

Christian studies her intently without saying a word, causing Ana to straighten up from slouching.

"What?" she utters. "Why are you looking at me like that?"

"I'm trying to figure out when you were planning on telling me about Douglas Dorsey's interview at Mylegent."

Ana just sits there, taken aback.

* * *

 **A/N: Hey there, good people! I'm so grateful that you are still here reading this. I apologize for the long delay. I had the nerve to set up these lofty publishing ambitions in 2020, haha!**

 **A quick plug: "California Love," which used to be a short fanfic (California Dreamin'), became a published novel at the very end of 2019. It's available on Amazon Prime, so I hope you had a chance to see what happens after Carmel, California! I also have a romantic suspense coming out next month called "Bernadette." It's different than anything I've ever written. You can preorder that on Amazon.**

 **Alright…plugs all done. Now back to AMT. What's next? Let me just say I had a blast writing a scene that takes place in chapter 18. I know, I know…I am such a tease, haha! And to be honest, I have no idea when the next update is coming since I have a deadline approaching for my fifth book. But trust me, as soon as I type ' _The End'_ on that story, I'll be back at it with AMT. I need to close this out as soon as possible. You guys have been waiting a long time to see the end, and I'm anxious to deliver it. We only have three chapters and an epilogue to go.**

 **So, in chapter 17, an interesting exchange takes place between Elliot and Elena. Then Doug tries to atone for his sins from college. Needless to say, Christian is NOT a fan. I repeat— _is NOT_. Haha!**

 **Until next time! – TK (aka storietella2)**


	17. Chapter 17

**Chapter 17** **– Sophisticated Tastes**

Placing both hands on her full stomach, Ana lets out a long exhale. She contemplates Christian's gripe over her college sweetheart, while the sight of her rubbing her belly distracts Christian.

Until recently, he swore he'd never have kids. The first fifteen years of his life were rough. He wanted no part of bringing a life into the world that would do the things that had been done to him. In fact, for years, he considered permanently handling the issue of ever being a father.

He is relieved that he hadn't jumped the gun, because as images of Ana with child dance in his brain, so does a comforting feeling. Besides making her his wife, her carrying something that they made together out of love would be the ultimate gift for him.

Until he laid eyes on her for the first time, he hadn't believed in love. In darker times, he thought love was something you did out of obligation. He had no choice but to love the couple who had literally saved his life. He had no choice but to project the other two adoptees he grew up with, his siblings.

But when Ana came along, he had to convince himself _not_ to love her.

 _This isn't right._

 _She's not mine._

 _I'd never betray Elliot._

 _She will_ _ **never**_ _be mine._

Despite his best efforts, he couldn't shake her. He eventually decided to stop fighting it and gave in. Since then, his love for Ana has expanded beyond measure. Her love has lifted him to heights he'd never known.

It would be easy for him to be selfish and keep all that love all to himself. But at the age of thirty-two, he has been around long enough to know that this would be highly unreasonable. He is well aware of the fine line that exists between neglect on the right, and suffocation on the left. He is constantly checking himself to make sure he's not jumping too far left.

The old man would have been too selfish to share Ana with anyone else, including his own mother. The new man adores seeing the bright smile on his girl's face when Tammy and the rest of her friends walk into the bar to meet them for Thursday drinks. The new man finds joy in her sweet laughter whenever Doren or José cracks a joke.

But the old man is never far behind.

Images of the handsome bearded man in the suit embracing his fiancée snatch him out of blissful reverie. Earlier, he'd watched and re-watched the CCTV footage from his office. Many moons ago, when he first gave Welch a list of names to alert him if they ever appeared in Mylegent's visitor badge database, he thought the chances of Douglas Dorsey ever showing his face would be a long shot.

Someone on Christian's team obviously dropped the ball. He required intel on any and everyone who'd go near SafeDriver. Dorsey's name was never mentioned as an external candidate. Christian thought he'd made it perfectly clear to Don Richards that all director candidates would have to be vetted by GEH, unless of course that candidate was Ana. As soon as Christian heard about Dorsey earlier in the day, he had his assistant reach out to Richards to schedule a come-to-Jesus meeting on Tuesday.

Christian wants to make certain Dorsey doesn't get to keep the job. Oh, the not-so-reformed puppet master had no doubt that the other WSU Vancouver graduate would land the spot. Compared to the other three candidates, Doug was most qualified for the role.

Ana's critical gaze pulls him out of his thoughts.

"Did you know Doug was being interviewed and didn't tell me?"

"No," he answers in an agitated tone.

"But you found out afterward? Did he get the job?"

"I sure as fuck hope not," Christian snaps. _If he did, he won't be there long enough to set pictures on the desk._

Ana winces, beyond surprised by his sudden harshness. "I hope you're not taking this out on me, because I'm getting that impression. I had no idea Doug had moved back to Washington from California. He'd been living there since we graduated. We'd lost touch."

Christian coaxes his racing heart to slow down and his boiling blood to fall to a simmer. He is upset, yes, but the last thing he wants is to take it out on her. Closing his eyes, he counts to five before reopening them. He reaches out and takes her hand in his.

"Baby, I'm sorry for snapping at you. I'm…" He searches for the words to describe what he is feeling, but he keeps striking out. Instead, he opts for the honest to God truth. "Look, I saw Dorsey hugging you. I saw as he watched you walk away. I saw him go in your office, and I saw him walk out of it." He grits his teeth. "Goddammit, it took everything in my being to not leave my office right then and go to Mylegent to bash his fucking brains in. That asshole wants under your skirt… _bad_."

After Ana snatches her hand away, it takes a few moments for her outrage to register for him. He starts to wonder if he should've taken sixty seconds of silence to find the other words he'd been searching for earlier. He's afraid he gave Ana the impression of him being an insanely jealous, dangerous asshole.

 _But I am that_ , his mind says in an echo.

"Ana," he pleads. "Look—I never said I was totally cured of my selfish ways. I know I'm a jealous son of a bitch. And unfortunately, that will never change. I'm sorry."

Instead of easing up at his _not-an-apology_ apology, Ana's expression tenses up even more.

"How on earth do you have access to the surveillance at _my_ job?! I mean…. _Really_?! What the hell, Christian!"

 _So, it wasn't the 'bashing Dorsey's head in' part that upset her_ , he thinks. He swallows hard before responding.

"I told you, I'm going to be majority owner of Mylegent once SafeDriver launches."

"Which isn't for another year!"

"As long as my proprietary technology is behind those walls, I have every right to know every little thing that's happening there. I've spent hundreds of millions perfecting that groundbreaking tech. I'm not putting my investment at risk by any means. GEH has every right to surveille every nook and cranny of that fucking place. And I have every right to vet whoever gets near SafeDriver. That is the deal Richards and I made."

Ana scoffs. "I don't think that deal included the Founder and CEO of GEH monitoring me personally." She tilts her head sideways in a critical gaze. "Unless you instructed Welch, Barney, Betty, Fred, and Wilma to call you the moment they see me speaking to a guy who isn't my boss, Doren, or Noah. Because that happens often." Her irritation turns into befuddlement. "Why, Christian?"

He clears his throat and looks at her with assuredness.

"Because SafeDriver and all my assets combined don't even come close to how much you're worth to me."

Christian adjusts his seat, so he is facing Ana head-on. He pulls both her hands into his as his eyes bore into hers with unmistakable certainty.

"I'd waited years to finally have you, and was willing to wait a lifetime if need be. I ripped my family in half, and I'm okay with that. I'd also be fine with losing all of this," he says, gesturing slightly with his head at their surroundings. "I'd be content living in a fucking refrigerator box. But if I ever lost you…"

"Christian." Ana's eyes water, but she widens them to stop the tears.

He clears his throat, not taking his eyes away from her. "I don't ever want to live in a world without you. From the first moment I saw you, I knew I couldn't do that. You split time in two, Ana. There was _Before Ana_ , and now there's _Since Ana_. There is no _after you_ for me, baby."

Christian presses his lips firmly against the back of Ana's hand, and her heart somersaults. She has never known a love like this, and it has been a shock to her system. After being completely neglected for years, to now, being fanatically worshiped, is giving her a severe case of whiplash.

 _There is no in between with these Grey boys._

"I told you," Ana pleads softly, "I'm not going anywhere. Why are you so upset about Doug? Don't you trust me?"

"I trust you wholeheartedly. But there are very few who I trust to handle things that belong to me. And when it comes to you, I trust no one. And I damn sure don't trust the likes of Douglas Dorsey."

Ana sighs and shrugs. "We've been over for six years. I have moved on, and I'm certain he has, too."

"He's single."

She groans at his quick response. "Unmarried doesn't imply not having someone."

"He's not seeing anyone."

"Oh my God… Christian," she gasps. "Don't tell me you've been stalking my ex…"

He cuts her off. "It is my job to know everything about anyone who has anything to do with…"

"Fucking SmartDriver…"

"No— _you_. I've had my eye on Dorsey for years, Ana. Just as I've had my eye on my brother."

The very thought of Christian being well aware of Elliot's deception while Ana stayed in the dark remains a sore subject for her. She lets the bitter thought roll off her back, but not before Christian catches a flash of her sour expression.

"What's wrong?"

Ana is flabbergasted by the loaded question. "Do you even have to ask? This is not normal. You don't—follow people. You let them live and it's no skin off your back unless their actions directly affect you."

"Oh, but they do," Christian counters with an arched brow. "Right now, Elliot is in Paris trying his damnedest to find enough dirt on me to stop our wedding."

"Paris?" Ana gapes. "Since when?"

"Today."

She's beside herself. "What for? Who is he there to see?"

"Elena."

The sound of her name makes Ana's skin crawl. Ana had never met the woman, but if she had, Ana knows it would not be a civil encounter.

…

When Elliot first entered the library of a modest bed-and-breakfast in Montmartre, he was perplexed. He knows for a fact that Elena isn't staying here. The former Mrs. Lincoln is still living good as a result of her ex-husband's flimsy prenup. Based on her settlement, one would think she was the one who was cheated on. Last Elliot heard, Elena's apartment in the eighth district was worth over three million euro.

He'd brought two coffees in paper cups and lids from the living area and placed them on the table in the library before browsing the old battered hardbacks on the weathered shelves. Soon, the woman he came here to see makes a grand entrance. She shed her Chanel suit from earlier and now wears a modest-looking cream blouse and black skirt. But anyone who knows Elena Lincoln knows that there is nothing modest about her. Nothing in her wardrobe is without a high fashion house's name on it.

Elena takes a seat at the faded wood table and pours creamer into the coffee her visitor set aside for her. Elliot saunters over and takes the seat across from her.

"I love Paris," she says in a substitute greeting. "I didn't think I could manage living here year round. It's been what…five years?"

He shrugs. "I don't know your life, lady. I barely know mine."

She briefly frowns before regaining her iron-clad composure. "I miss Seattle, but this is my home now. Still, it's unfortunate that I lost my place in society back there after some asshole spread vicious lies about me. Regardless of what you may have heard, those young men, my partners, they were all at the age of consent."

Elliot's gaze narrows. "How old were they?"

He can tell by the way she shifts in her seat that his question makes her uncomfortable, but she answers anyway.

"A couple of them were seventeen. One had just turned sixteen. That's the relationship giving me the most problems back in the States."

 _Relationship?_ Elliot is thrown off, but he lets her continue.

"His father claims my relationship with his son had begun several months before he turned sixteen. That's bullshit," she hisses. "The parents only want to wring my wallet dry and see me rot in prison."

 _What the fuck,_ Elliot thinks.

 _Is she THAT self-unaware?_

In a blink of an eye, Elliot decides that Elena Lincoln's severe lack of accountability had no bearing on him. He didn't come all this way to chastise her, as she assumed. He is here for ammunition. Ammunition to break up an engagement. With that in mind, Elliot steers the conversation right where he wants it.

"How old was my brother when you taught him how to fuck?"

Elena turns white, and Elliot grins as if he'd just hit a bullseye. When several beats pass, the color slowly returns, and that color is red. The lady is furious.

"What is your angle, Elliot?" she snaps. "What are you getting at?"

"No angle," he retreats with a muted smirk, holding both hands up in surrender. "Look, I'm only here to get my girl back. Christian took her from me. She's…" He wrestles with the foreign feeling inside of him. Ultimately, he decides to be completely honest with himself for the first time. "She's the love of my life." Elena is taken aback, yet he continues. "I honestly didn't know it at the time. But I do now."

During a thirty second stretch of silence, Elena takes the time to study him thoroughly. Unbeknownst to Elliot, she is searching for true intent underneath his desperate plea. _It is impossible to bullshit a bullshitter_ , her subconscious reminds her.

"I know about it," she says, finally breaking her silence. "It's international news. 'Billionaire gets engaged to brother's ex-fiancée.' Very salacious story that has piqued the world's interest. Not only that, but it's pertaining to one of the most powerful businessmen out there. He's bigger than Seattle and the States, but you'd never know that unless you leave the Washington bubble. Before I came here, he was just— _Christian_ to me. Here, he's an international juggernaut."

Elena takes a drink from the paper cup, holding it in both hands. As she stares into the space just past Elliot's shoulder, her thoughts take her captive for a beat. She speaks it out.

"I'm proud of what he's been able to accomplish in the span of twelve years. I knew he'd take my initial investment and make something great happen. He has and continues to far exceed my high expectations." She clears her throat, signally a change of lanes. "But on the outside looking in, it's as if he's not Christian anymore. I don't know _who_ this man is."

Elliot blinks a dozen times, trying to decipher the meaning behind his mother's old friend's words. He notices an affection in her eyes when she speaks of Christian. Elliot had known she'd helped his brother get his business off the ground back when his parents refused because of him dropping out of Harvard. But there is something much deeper going on. _This isn't just some proud mom, concerned mom act_ , he thinks. _This shit runs deep._

The 'head-on' approach hadn't work. Elena still hasn't come clean about the true nature of her relationship with Christian. This time, Elliot decides to give quid pro quo a whirl. _I'll share something intimate, and maybe she'll return the favor._

"Ana has never been…sexually adventurous. I've heard about some of the things my brother is supposedly into, and quite honestly, it scares the living shit out of me. I am literally afraid for her."

What he said elicits a scowl from Elena. And for a second, he regrets his new approach. He wonders if he shouldn't have laid it on so thick, so soon. Elena moves her mouth, as if to speak, but then clamps it shut. Her lips purse, and her head wanders all over the place. If Elliot didn't know any better, he'd assume she was paranoid. Taking the cue, he stands, walks over to the open door, and shuts it before reclaiming his seat. Like clockwork, Elena exhales.

"Were either you or your ex in the lifestyle?"

"No," Elliot answers quickly. "No BDSM. Ana is a good girl. She's not into that heavy shit."

Her lips purse tighter in disapproval. "That's what I feared."

"I take it that's your jam? Whips and chains and shit? And you got my brother into it, too?"

She vets her next words carefully before speaking out. "As a teenager, your brother was on a downward spiral. He was angry with no outlet. He needed some way to channel it."

Elliot scoffs. "And what makes you Dr. Phil?"

"I'm a dominatrix, Elliot." He jerks his head back at the explosive admission but lets her continue. "Not only that, but I also train people like me. I've done so for many, many years."

"Did you train Christian?"

"Look," she says sharply. "This conversation never leaves the room—you got that? Do what you have to do to break up this mistake of an engagement, but don't just use what I'm about to tell you as your only source. Your brother will poke holes through _everything_. You will have to dig deep. Don't be lazy and not do your homework. Because trust me, Christian Grey is doing his."

"How will your information benefit me if you're telling me to dig deeper?" Elliot growls. "Did I waste my time coming here?"

"Not so fast," Elena says with a smirk. "The point is to never take the path directly from A to B. It's too easy to get figured out that way. Make a detour. Go from A, to H, to Y, then to B. Why? Because I am one hundred percent sure Christian has eyes and ears on us right this second. When you return home, he will be ready for you to attack. And the moment you turn the fire hose on at him, he has already re-engineered it to spray back at you. Tell me this, he's already thwarted your attempts, no?"

Elliot doesn't justify her question with a response. Her smirk widens.

"You thought your brother was just a reclusive brainiac with loads of money. You had no idea that his drive for control runs so deep, it will blow your natural mind. What is your ex's name? Anastasia?"

Elliot nods with reluctance, and she continues.

"I'm willing to bet all I have that your brother had his eye on her from the very beginning. She was the perfect persona in his mind's eye." She points to each finger as she names each attribute. "Pale skin. Long brown hair. Blue eyes. Submissive. She checked all the boxes. If you went down the line of every submissive Christian has ever had—They. Look. Just. Like. Her. And she looks just like his birth mother."

She isn't moved by the startled expression on Elliot's face. "You mean to tell me my little brother loves oedipussy?"

Elena scoffs. "I'm sorry, _what_?"

Elliot shakes his head to kill the subject.

"Christian will think I betrayed him by talking to you today," she says. "But if he knew my heart, he'd understand that I still care for him very much. I'm going to make a deal with you. I'll tell you everything you want to know. In exchange, I need three things. One, help in any way you can to clear my name back home. Two, Christian is not the marrying kind, and as a dear friend, I don't want to see his life destroyed. You need to _stop_ this wedding. And three…"

Elena leans forward at an engaged Elliot to ensure he hears every word. "It's been a while since I've taught a vanilla new tricks." She kicks a high heel forward and rubs her ankle against Elliot's thigh.

He doesn't even flinch. "Me? A vanilla? I don't do ball gags and bondage, but I still get dirty."

"Any objections to spending the night with an older woman?"

Elliot chuckles. "You may be older, but you're still hot. I'd fuck you."

Elena leans back in her chair and takes her foot with her. "Very well. Those are my terms."

In a surprise gesture, Elliot extends his hand across the table. Elena takes it, and the two shake in agreement. As soon as their hands come back, she jumps right into the meat.

"Christian was my prized pupil. There was no other dominant like him. He pleased every woman I ever brought his way."

Elliot's gaze widens. "Wait—you brought women to him?"

"Yes, submissives. Hand-picked and well vetted."

"How many did you bring him over the years?"

"I can't say."

"Was it more than seven?"

"It was higher than that."

"Shit." Elliot shakes his head in disbelief. After all these years, he never really knew his little brother at all. "Did they just stay the night with him?"

She shakes her head. "Each girl he selected entered into an agreement with him."

"Fuck," he murmurs. "The NDA."

"Yes, and the terms of agreement," Elena adds. "The two parties would agree on the nature of their relationship by signing on the dotted line."

"A fucking contract for one night of fucking? That makes no sense."

"No, this is a relationship. A monogamous relationship. They each spell out what they are willing to do, or not do, during the course of the relationship. The submissive usually has to agree to live with Christian from Friday to Sunday."

"I think I heard about that from the stripper."

"It was probably Deanna."

"That's her name?" Elliot frowns. "She wouldn't tell me."

"Christian was disappointed in her for choosing that path. He covered the cost for her to finish college, but she ended up dropping out. Deanna was never a huge fan of perseverance."

"He took care of all of them," he sighs. _That's one way to keep mouths closed._

Elena nods. "Even though they've been out of his life for years, he has every one of them on a string. Those girls would never betray him. He has the power to make them disappear." The shocked expression on Elliot's face causes her to backtrack just a little. "You know your brother isn't a murderer. The girls still live a very good life. Better than they would have had they not met him. What I meant is that a few of them are off the grid. Two in particular, you'll never find. Believe me, I've tried. But Christian knows exactly where they are."

"Yeah, he's the one who put them there."

An idea enters Elliot's mind.

 _He's surveilling me, but I need to turn the tables_ _on him for a change. Maybe I'll catch him or his head of security interacting with these exes who are tucked away. I can make a deal to get these girls out of hiding. Maybe use some of my trust money as the hook._

…

Elliot is the last to enter the dainty looking upstairs bedroom at the bed-and-breakfast. After shutting the door behind him, he realizes that for the first time in ever, he's a bit out of his element. Nervousness isn't something he's used to feeling when alone with a woman. But there is something about this woman in particular that elicits fear.

"Take off all your clothes," the older blonde orders with a stern face. Elliot is hesitant. "Don't worry. We'll both get naked and stick to just plain ol' sex this time. I want to see what I'm working with." She slowly unbuttons her blouse.

He scoffs. " _Plain ol' sex?_ What does that even mean? If you're talking about soft and gentle, I'll pass. A guy likes to fuck rough."

Her laugh startles him. In the decades he's known Mrs. Lincoln, he has never seen her truly laugh. Normally when he makes a woman laugh, he feels proud. But this laugh makes him feel small, like an idiot.

"This is not a scene and there are no roles. That is what I meant by just plain ol' sex. Fuck hard, whatever—just show me what you'd do to any woman you were alone with."

 _For sure, I can do that_ , he tells himself.

Ten minutes later, they are both naked on top of the duvet. Elena's head is propped up by two pillows as she watches Elliot down below. His head full of blond hair bobs in between her thighs. Deep breaths and a symphony of sounds can be heard below.

Elliot is confident he's doing his best work as he hums into her clit. This woman is a sexual aficionado, so he knew he had to bring his A-game. She's been around the block a few times, training others on how to give and receive pleasure. He knew this was a test, and once he got started, he was dead set on passing it. His soaring confidence makes him work his neck and tongue a bit more.

Thankfully, he doesn't look up all that much, because if he did, he'd see that the lady is quite bored. Every so often, Elena pretends to be engaged, closing her eyes and giving the impression of pleasure. However, she's not feeling it. She tells herself that this is a complete waste of time. If this were anyone else, she would have flung them off of her and slapped the shit out of them for being so inept to pleasing a woman at their age. In her assessment, he should have made her come three minutes ago. He is too focused on _him_ and how he's doing than to check up on his recipient.

 _That's not how this works_ , she thinks with a bitter twist to her mouth. _He has so much to learn, but I have no time to teach it to him._

After she fakes an orgasm, Elliot rolls on a condom, bends her yoga-trained legs all the way back until they touch the mattress, and fucks her furiously fast with his eyes tightly closed. The whole time, Elena's eyes are wide open as she rolls them, repeatedly.

Elliot comes hard, falls over to the side, and nods off.

…

His eyes flicker open from the bright light shining from the ensuite. The room would be pitch black otherwise. He sees a sultry silhouette adorned in a fitted dress and pulled up hair, dabbing perfume on her décolletage.

One would never know just by looking at her that this woman is midway to fifty. She practically looks the same as she did twenty years ago. The saying about how evildoers age rapidly obviously missed her. Elliot wonders if feasting on the blood of young men is her secret to immortality.

She had done nothing tonight other than watch and observe. Still, Elliot had the impression that she really had to restrain herself in order not to release her true nature in the bedroom. He was being critiqued, so he brought his best effort to the table. He didn't expect to go full-throttle and poop out like that _._

 _Chalk it up to jetlag_ , he tells himself.

 _Everything leading up to me conking out was great.  
She was feeling it.  
She let me know it with her orgasm._

 _So, why is she dressed?_

He leans over to the nightstand and checks his cell phone. It's after midnight.

"Where are you going?" he asks in a groggy voice.

"I'm going to a BDSM club, for an actual fuck this time."

His eyes narrow in confusion, yet a smirk forms across his lips. "I gave you a real fuck. I fucked you damn good, if I do say so myself."

He must have said something offensive, because Elena spins around in her Manolo Blahnik pumps like a force of nature. She saunters over to the nightstand and turns on the lamp so Elliot can see her good.

"You are no prize in bed, Elliot Grey."

"Excuse me?"

"First of all, I faked coming so you would stop. Not once did you look me in the eye to make sure I was being pleasured. You needed to work my cunt like a marionette. Instead, you treated it like a blind man shampooing someone else's hair."

"What?! Fuck off, lady!"

"You were sloppy and unmethodical. And at close listen, I could have sworn I heard you humming the alphabet song. Who does that?!"

"No!" he scowls vehemently.

"From start to finish, you didn't put my pleasure first. You were too occupied with getting your own rocks off. Fast and hard doesn't mean good. If you're going to fuck the shit out of me, do it right. Make me beg for more. What you were doing, I did not want more of that."

Elliot laughs this time. "You are so full of shit right now. You talk a big game, but you all you did was lay there like a starfish."

She shifts from one heel to the next. "I told you, this was me seeing what you had. And if that's all you got, no wonder Anastasia left you for Christian. Your brother is a choice filet while you're..." she gestures to his body, still naked under the covers. "You're a Big Mac. You may be good at first bite, but in the end, you leave nothing but regret."

Her words leave him enraged. Calling him inept is one thing, but bringing up his ex and pushing him far below his own brother? It's enough to make him spring out of bed naked. Once on his feet, he closes in on her personal space. If anyone were here to witness the level of disdain in his expression as he looked down at Elena, they would surely intervene.

"Get the fuck out of here. You don't know me or what I can do. You just caught me on an off day. I recently landed after a very long flight. At least I don't have to tie a girl up and beat her ass in order to make it good."

"The jetlag excuse," Elena says with mirth. His towering figure doesn't intimidate her in the slightest. "Why don't you come along with me so you can see how _I_ do it? Perhaps you can even learn a thing or two about how to _really_ please a woman. At the very least, you can see some of the things that your ex might be into now."

The thought of Ana going hardcore causes a sinking feeling in Elliot's stomach.

…

 _(Nearly Two Weeks Later)_

Friday seemingly took forever to get here. It's been a rather stressful week at Mylegent for Ana. She's been pulling double duty, on top of dealing with the bittersweet emotions that come with moving on and facing new challenges.

Last Friday, her soon-to-be-former team took her out to lunch to celebrate her promotion as director. Sherrie, April, and Mike were among those wishing her well on her newest endeavor. Since April is dating Doren, she let it slip to her boyfriend that they were having a farewell luncheon for Ana. So Doren, Tammy, Noah, and Isa crashed the party.

Last Friday was a fun time.

This Friday left much to be desired.

On Monday, she came to work, raring to go. Her things were moved to a new office. Now, she had a window. Her last office was a converted closet, so she had no concept of time while working hard in there. Christian would often have to call to remind her of their plans for that night. With a view of downtown Seattle right in front of her, it would be difficult to lose track of time now.

After taking an hour and a half to set up her new office, she met with her old boss, Marsha, to sift through resumes for Ana's replacement. There were still meetings for the old job she had to tend to. But after lunch that day, she had to attend a meeting for her new role. She would have to face Doug again.

Even after four days of attending the same meetings, Ana still hasn't gotten used to working alongside her ex. When Christian stopped asking her about him on Wednesday, she knew that wasn't a good thing. It was a sign that her fiancé definitely had something up his sleeve. Whatever it was, she hoped not to be blindsided.

Ana enters the conference room for the SafeDriver IT update five minutes before one o'clock. She takes a seat in the middle of the boat-shaped table, sitting across another female director. The woman congratulates Ana on her promotion, and the two catch up. As a group of attendees file in, Doug is among them. He takes a seat next to Ana.

"So, one week as director," he smiles. "How does it feel?"

Ana shrugs. "I don't quite know yet. I'm still doing my old job, so nothing has really changed for me."

"Well, I hope they backfill your previous role quickly."

"Me, too. How's your first week been at Mylegent? Do you miss your firm in California?"

"It's been great here," Doug beams. I actually got to spend time with Don Richards."

"Really? That's great," Ana smiles back. "He's a good guy and a great leader."

"He kind of reminds me of Tom Hanks a little. You don't see it at first, but he has certain um…mannerisms. I can't describe it…"

Ana's nose wrinkles, unable to see the correlation. "No way. Really?" She watches as all the surrounding chairs become occupied.

"You have to look a little deeper. I got a 'League of Their Own' Tom Hanks vibe from him. He doesn't yell at women or anything like that, but he has this way of pushing you to do your best."

"I can see that," Ana nods.

"Hey, remember John from college?"

Her eyes widen fondly. "Of course. You two were best friends."

"Still are," he nods. "The three of us and Kate, we had so much fun together back then. How _is_ Kavanagh doing these days?"

Ana's smile wipes clean off. "We aren't really speaking."

"Wow," Doug gasps. "I guess it's harder for girls to stay friends than it is for guys, huh?"

She can only shrug in response. It's a topic she doesn't feel like getting into.

"Well, anyway, John misses you."

"Aww," she coos. "Tell him I said _hello_."

"I will. He always liked you for me. He will never let me hear the end of it. Says I screwed up a good thing."

Ana is stunned, but she quickly composes herself when President Don Richards enters the room. But coming in behind him is Christian, so her shock returns. _He didn't tell me he was coming here this afternoon_ , she thinks.

"Christian Grey, huh," Doug murmurs. "I guess we'll be working with him a lot, being that SmartDriver is his brainchild."

Ana is so enamored by the model-esque man in the custom-fitted suit, that she misses Doug's statement entirely. It never ceases to amaze her that a man she lives with day in and day out can stir up these intense feelings. They are just fifteen feet apart in proximity, yet their distance brings about such longing in her. This is the first opportunity she will truly get to experience Christian Grey, the mogul.

Don Richards takes a seat at the head of the table, with Christian settling to his right. As Don leans toward Christian to speak something in private, the latter's line-of-sight shoots straight down the table. He locks eyes with his fiancée, who frowns playfully. _Thanks for the heads up, Grey._ Christian's eyes narrow to the point of being deadly when he spots the man sitting next to her. Ana freezes, but the tension between them dissipates the moment Richards starts the meeting.

Mylegent's IT department proceeds to update everyone on the status of their technology exchange with GEH. Barney, Christian's top tech guy, is on the phone along with two other members of his team. Every so often, Don and his management team interject with questions. Christian, along with his team on the phone, do a fine job in explaining the nuances of their tech and how to best integrate it with Mylegent's current system.

Ana is fully engaged and is feverishly taking notes. For the first time, she has a front-row seat to witness firsthand why Christian Grey and his company are at the top of their game. She already knew as much, but seeing it play out in a business setting is a sight to behold. It is such a turn-on for her, that she has to remind herself she and Christian are working. Despite this, she looks forward to dinner tonight, so she has the opportunity to pick Christian's brain a little more about some of the things he spoke about in this meeting.

Mylegent's research head takes the floor, spouting out the latest statistics. An alarming slide projecting on the screen shows the uptick of traffic and subsequent collisions in large cities in the States, including Seattle. It's enough to set Don Richards off on a monologue.

"This is a huge problem. We _need_ SmartDriver," he says.

Doug leans over to whisper to Ana. "Houston, we have a problem." Ana snorts as he continues. "Tell me he doesn't remind you of Tom Hanks now."

Ana lowers her head and covers her mouth to laugh. Christian so happens to look up and see her at that moment. If anyone else were observing Ana and Doug, they'd probably see two colleagues quietly sharing a private joke. But the only thing the most powerful man in the room can see is red. He balls his fists tight under the table.

 _If that fucker lays a finger on her, I will turn over this table_ , he stews.

When Christian initially aired his grievance two weeks ago concerning Mylegent's latest external hire, Richards had assured him that Dorsey's background was checked thoroughly, then checked again. For them, Doug Dorsey was hands down the best man for the job. Christian would not spill the true nature of his disapproval. Richards didn't need to know that it was personal.

Over the past week and a half, Christian had tried coaching himself off the ledge regarding Ana working side by side with her ex. He has probably done more deep breathing exercises than ever before. Just the thought of Doug working near her is enough to induce rage. But actually seeing the source of his ire right before his eyes, leaning into his fiancée and making her smile and laugh, makes him feel homicidal.

 _Stay cool, Grey. No need to cause a scene._

 _You've always had a steady hand._

 _Never let 'em see it coming._

When Ana shifts her focus back over to a speaking Don, she can't help but notice the scowl on Christian's face as he looks down at his open leather-bound notebook. She closes her eyes and sighs. She prepares herself for the earful she'll receive after this is all done.

After one hour, the meeting adjourns. The cacophony of sliding chairs, shuffling paper, and colleagues conversing fill the room. As Ana gathers her belongings, Doug taps her on the shoulder. She turns to face him.

"Hey, can we meet this afternoon to talk about a developing training plan for SmartDriver?"

Before she can answer, she's interrupted by another shoulder tap. Doug looks at the intimidating figure standing next to Ana in surprise, wondering how he could walk back here so fast.

"Miss Steele."

 _Jesus_ , Ana groans within. She knows there is something else laced in that monotone greeting. She turns to her fiancé with a smirk. "Mr. Grey."

"Who's your new colleague over here?" The expression on Christian's face is likened to a cat tossing a ball of yarn from one paw to the next.

Ana humors him. "This is Doug Dorsey, another brand-new director with the team." She turns to Doug. "Doug, meet Christian Grey."

Doug winces in surprise, then quickly recuperates. When he extends for a handshake, Christian doesn't bother looking down, nor does he reciprocate. Doug is thrown off by the shade.

"Um, hello. Great to meet you. I've admired your conservation work over the years," praises Doug.

Christian turns away from Doug without responding and looks directly into Ana's wide eyes. "Can we speak privately for a moment?"

Ana opens her mouth to talk, but nothing comes out of it. She is taken aback by how rudely Christian is behaving. Doug takes the hint.

"Ana, we'll catch up later. Again, nice meeting you, Mr. Grey." He nods, then walks away.

"The fuck you will _catch up_ ," Christian growls.

A gasp sounds out of Ana's mouth, which has been wide open ever since Christian refused to shake hands with Doug. In this moment, she cannot articulate how upset she is. Christian waits a little while longer as meeting attendees continue to trickle out of the room. Don Richards breaks free from his four-man impromptu powwow up front to join Christian and Ana in the middle of the room.

"Ana!" Don greets the future Mrs. Grey with a hug. "Good seeing you! I hope we didn't bore you to death in your first joint SmartDriver update meeting."

She forces the lump of agitation down her throat to respond kindly to the president. "No, not at all. It was very informative. I'm happy to be a part of this."

"Good," Don beams. "We are so glad to have you here on the team." He claps Christian on the shoulder. "Don't let this man scare you. We don't bite in here."

"Speak for yourself," Christian says with a devious smirk. Don laughs, and Ana rolls her eyes with the utmost contempt.

"We'll talk later, Grey. And Ana, again, it was great seeing you. Marcy misses you, by the way. We all should do brunch again soon."

"Of course," Ana says adamantly. "Tell her to bring that scarf she's been knitting for the past year next time so I can show her how to finally finish it."

"I will do that."

Don bids the engaged couple a farewell, and Christian's eyes shoot to the two men still lingering in front of the room. One of them was about to start on a brand-new harangue until he sees the CEO of GEH burning a hole in his forehead. The men quickly take the hint and clear the room, shutting the door behind them.

Ana unleashes.

"What was that?!"

"You tell me," he growls back.

"You were so rude…"

"I know you're still new to this, but you're no longer a call center manager. You are a director now, so you should act like it."

"Excuse me?! How dare you…"

"I saw you giggling and carrying on with Dorsey. These meetings may not mean much to you, but they are important."

Ana flings open her notebook and practically shoves it in his face. "See! I've taken notes! I even have questions I was going to ask you about tonight. What is wrong with you!"

"Doug Dorsey, that's what."

"Jesus, Christian! Come on! I thought we settled this. Why is this now a problem again?"

"We settled nothing, Ana. I want him gone. Period."

"Gaaaahhh!" she roars in frustration. "He's actually been quite nice to work with, and extremely professional. I don't get why you're making such a big deal out of this. He's able to put the past aside and do his job, and so am I."

With gray eyes full of contempt, Christian squares his shoulders. "I'm sorry, what part of 'the two of you used to fuck' aren't you getting? I don't give a shit how professional he seems. He's a man, Ana. A man _never_ forgets."

Ana is beside herself. "Unbelievable," she grumbles.

"I'd never do this—but let's just say, hypothetically. How would you feel if I hired _my_ exes to work alongside me?"

Her eyes and mouth widen, and she tilts her head sideways. The question is appalling.

"I'm waiting on your answer," he taunts in an indistinct voice.

"Sir?"

The male voice coming out of the speakerphone startles both Christian and Ana.

"Mr. Grey, it's just me. Barney. Sorry, I forgot to hang up."

Ana's cheeks redden with embarrassment, and her hands fly up to cover her face.

…

A knock at the door takes Ana's eyes off her laptop. Without waiting for permission, Doug walks into her office and shuts the door behind him. He takes a seat on the other side of her desk. The first thing he sees is a framed photograph of Ana and Christian Grey hugging in front of a massive beach house near beautiful blue waters. Doug picks up the photo to get a closer look.

"Where is this? It's beautiful."

"Maui," Ana answers. "At our house. Well, one of them."

In this moment, she longs to be there. She'd rather be doing all the things she and Christian enjoy, versus fighting. The thought of their current state makes her chest ache. Doug being alone in her presence is a sore reminder that her future husband would not approve of this whatsoever.

"I'll admit, I don't keep up with the gossip columns. I had no idea until someone told me this afternoon that you were engaged to him."

Ana finds that hard to believe. Her business has been _everywhere_. How could he not have heard? Still, she shrugs it off.

"I also heard you were engaged to his brother."

Ana bites down, not feeling up to filling in her ex about her scandalous love life. Doug doesn't take the hint.

"That's gotta be super awkward. I mean, how does that even work?"

"You know Doug, I really don't feel like discussing this here."

"Touchy subject?"

"To say the least."

"I get it. Hey… You are a knockout, Ana. No wonder Christian Grey snatched you up when his brother was too dumb to see how good he had it. Hell, I can relate. I had a really good thing back in college, yet I was too young and stupid to see it."

Ana freezes in place.

"I mean that. If I could do it all over again, I wouldn't have let you go. Since we broke up, I've been striking out in the love department left and right. No matter who it is, I'm just not connecting with them. To be honest, nobody measures up to you."

To say that Ana feels awkward would be a severe understatement.

"Look, I know our relationship is old news. You've moved on in a major way. I just hope you can forgive me for being such a jackass."

"It's not a big deal, Doug. It was a long time ago."

Had they had this conversation three years ago, Ana's wounds would have still been fresh. But Christian had done such a bang-up job in cleaning up her exes' messes that she'd forgotten what it felt like to be brokenhearted.

"We're colleagues now, but I hope we can become good friends again. We've known each other for years. And just as you were in college, you're a rock star here at Mylegent. Even though we are on the same level, I hope you would consider being a mentor to me."

Ana is speechless. "Wow… Doug..."

"Don't say _no_ just yet. How about we talk more about it over coffee next week. Deal?"

…

Friday date night had been so tense, Ana was unsure if either of them would be in the mood for their usual ritual when they got home. They held hands throughout the movie, and Christian would regularly press hers to his mouth to kiss it. Still, there was a distant look in his eyes that wouldn't leave all night.

This Doug thing was really bothering him to the point that it started to bother Ana. And to top it off, when Doug met her in her office today, he said certain things that almost validated Christian's concerns.

As they left the theater, Ana pulled on Christian's arm and said, _"If you want Doug gone, I understand. Just be sure he lands on his feet. No demotion. No pay cut."_

Christian closed his eyes and exhaled. That would be as good as a response as she would get. She didn't need to know what he had up his sleeve. He would take care of it _his way_.

When they returned home, Ana decided to unwind the ball of stress in her belly in the library by re-reading her favorite passage in one of her favorite books. The sound of her buzzing phone snatches her out of revelry and into the here and now. A text message.

 **Christian: It's time. Meet me in our bedroom.**

 _I guess that answers THAT question_ , she thinks. A smile teases her lips as she stands to put the book away. _This is exactly what we need—to reconnect OUR way._

As Ana heads towards the master suite, Christian meets her halfway. She looks down and notices that he's holding a red suede pouch with tan braided rope as the drawstring. Now out of his suit from earlier, he is barefoot and wearing a gray t-shirt and faded jeans. Ana immediately thinks to herself that this man is illogically perfect. Whether he's in a bespoke suit five days a week, or lounging around the house in jeans, he always looks sensational.

Still in her jeans and sweater that she'd been in all day, she suddenly feels overdressed. That's resolved as soon as the two are in the bedroom and Christian shuts the door behind them.

"Take off your clothes," he commands. " _Slowly_." Usually, Ana could spot a semblance of mirth on his lips. But right now, in this moment, there is no sign of amusement.

Once she is completely naked, Christian opens the pouch and takes out a low-cut diamond necklace. It's the most beautiful necklace Ana has ever seen.

"Christian…"

"I figured we just try this one. It's valued at fifty million dollars," he says nonchalantly.

Ana nearly stumbles to the floor as he brings it closer.

"Fifty million?!" she gapes. "That doesn't make any sense! That's a complete waste of money! Why would you…"

He presses a finger to her lips. " _Shhh_. You're going to have to stop doing that every time we go through this. This isn't going to end, so you need to quit being surprised."

When he removes his finger, it doesn't stop her from being dumbstruck.

"Christian. Fifty _million_? That is insane. Do you know what this money would do for certain small countries who truly need it?"

"I've given that, and more," he assures her.

"Jeez…"

She freezes when he steps behind her naked body and drapes the extremely pricey gem around her neck.

"This is _way_ too much," she whispers, knowing very well that Christian doesn't care.

He steps back into her line of sight and pulls out something else. A wand-like contraption riddled with gemstones.

"Wha…what is that?"

"A vibrator," he says plainly.

"Oh?" She can't hide her oncoming smile.

He nods. "One million."

She has an immediate knee-jerk reaction. "Fuck, Christian!"

"That is the point," he answers with a straight face."

"Wha—why?!"

He reaches behind her, slaps her ass hard, and she yelps.

"Get ahold of yourself, Miss Steele," he orders. "You knew what this was when you agreed to marry me. We do things insanely big here, baby. I spare no expense. And believe me when I tell you that the thought of you stark naked and making that fifty million dollar necklace jingle around your neck while I fuck you in our bed with this million-dollar vibrator makes me so fucking hard right now," he says through clenched teeth.

"Oh," she chokes.

"Yeah. _Oh_."

For the first time all day, he smiles, and it's all the reassurance Ana needs. She has to remind herself regularly that Christian Grey is not a regular man. He's a multi-billionaire with very expensive tastes, both out in the world and inside the bedroom. She will have to come to grips with that, eventually.

Ana reaches out for him, but Christian quickly steps back. She flinches as if being slapped. Had she blinked again, she would have missed a single flash of compassion, letting her know that her Christian is still in there. _He's playing a game now_ , she tells herself. With that in mind, she squares her shoulders and adjusts her arms flat on her sides. She points her chin up towards him.

"Now," he murmurs, "get in bed."

Twenty minutes later, she finds herself tied to the bed with rope the same tan color as the drawstring on that velvet pouch. Each limb is stretched nearly to capacity. Still fully dressed, Christian teases her with the solid platinum bejeweled wand, moving it down her breasts and to her stomach. Panting hard, she moans.

"Beautiful," he murmurs. "So, so beautiful. And _so_ mine."

"Yours," she says, reassuring him.

"Say it again," he orders.

"Yours. I'm yours—all yours."

With that, he presses the vibrator to her clit, and she buckles.

"Fuck!"

"Mmm hmm," he taunts. "A little intense?"

Ana can only answer with a loud moan. When he responds by sticking the cool, slick tip at her entrance, she gasps.

He crouches up so she can see him. "He-who-will-never-be-mentioned-in-this-bedroom can't ever have this back. God knows he wants it. _Bad_."

Her big blue eyes stare wide into his fiery grays. He tilts his head sideways.

"Wait, you didn't know?"

"Huh?" Ana barely gets the word out through her heaving chest. She wishes she could see his face, but she is bound.

"He's had his eye on you ever since he saw us arm in arm on the internet at the last big charity gala we attended. He obviously liked what he saw. A stronger, more confident Ana than the one he knew back in college. He saw that the new Ana looked delicious in expensive, tight-fitting gowns. It was enough to make him pack up his shit and bring his ass back to Washington. He knew you were up for the director job, and he knew he'd be a shoo-in for the other. He's banking on your nostalgia to kick in. His plan? To keep reminiscing about the good old days, hoping you would yearn to have them back."

Before Ana can respond, he drops back down in between her sprawled thighs and sticks the vibrator deep inside of her. She throws her head back with a shout. He lets her get used to the feeling first before he thrusts it in and out of her repeatedly.

"What he doesn't know—the 'good old days' he knew have been replaced with this…"

He jerks it harder, and Ana's hips levitate from the bed. The combination of pain and pleasure is multiplied by the fact she can't move her arms and legs. The sound of the clinking diamonds on her neck sound like wind chimes in a violent storm.

"Those days pale in comparison now, don't they?"

"Christian!"

"That's my name on your lips," he growls, " _not_ his. And he needs to know that. We _will_ tell him."

"Oh yes! Oh my God! Fuck me, Christian! _Please_! Take what's yours!"

Ana nearly rips the bed apart after hearing the sound of Christian throwing the million-dollar vibrator across the room. Before she can chastise him about it, he's deftly slicing away the rope from her ankles with a pocketknife. Ana kicks her legs free as she watches him on the floor, stripping down to nothing.

Once he is back in bed, he bends her legs until her thighs are firmly pressed against her breasts and the necklace. Holding her steady, he thrusts inside of her, granting her deepest wish.

…

For the past two weeks, something Elena said continued to echo in the chambers of Elliot's mind.

" _You had no idea that his drive for control runs so deep, it would blow your natural mind."_

Those words haunted him so much, that he had an old friend meet him at a bar. She was a Latina waitress he flirted with in front of then-girlfriend, Ana, a while back. That flirting soon turned into fucking. Repeatedly.

The beautiful young woman spots Elliot sitting alone at one of the high-top tables near the bar. She's happy to see him. Before she can give him a hug, he wards her off with an outstretched hand and urges her to take a seat. She's taken aback by the cold greeting.

She proceeds to ask him what his problem is in Spanish, and he jumps right into it, responding in her native tongue.

"I saw the BMW you just parked. Who got it for you?"

When she immediately turns into stone, Elliot desperately wants to explode and scream so many things at her. Instead, he holds his breath, closes his eyes, and counts to three. When he's back with her, he pleads for her honesty.

"My brother destroyed me, Marisol. I need you to tell me if he had anything to do with that BMW. Did he pay you to seduce me?"

Thick droplets of tears fall down the sides of her cheeks. An admission of guilt.

"I don't know if it was him," she whispers in a shaky voice. "It was a muscular man in a suit. He had a buzz cut and wasn't all that friendly."

"Taylor— _fuck_!" Elliot stops just short of letting his tight fist hit the table.

"I needed the money for Papa," Marisol pleads. "You knew he was sick. We couldn't afford the medicine."

"You _fucking_ let my brother buy you!"

"I didn't know it was your brother…"

"You didn't care! As long as you got paid! When you saw I had a girlfriend, you wanted nothing to do with me. Then suddenly, I get a phone call from you saying you changed your mind!"

"How am _I_ the bad guy now?! _You_ cheated, not me!"

Elliot blinks when Marisol switches from Spanish to crystal clear English.

"And whether it was with me or someone else, you were still going to cheat!" she sobs. "Hell, you tried to cheat with me that same night you brought your girlfriend to the restaurant!"

"You should have told me about the deal you made."

"You got what you wanted," she hisses. "I gave you sex. What's so wrong with helping my family in the process?"

Elliot place both hands firmly on the table, then leans forward to look her directly in the eye.

"Was that BMW part of _helping the family_? I call bullshit. You're nothing but a high-priced whore, Marisol. Not only did you destroy a relationship, but you put lives in danger. I hope you're happy."

With contempt riddled all over his face, he stands and slams down a twenty-dollar bill on the table before turning to leave. He doesn't bother looking back when Marisol calls out behind him.

"Wait—what do you mean _in danger_?"

* * *

 **A/N: Faithful readers! Thank you for being so patient with me. Since the last update, I've completed two books and I'm working on the next. I have another tight deadline, so it will be at least a month before I can update chapter 18.**

 **I will say that I am looking forward to the next chapter. It is some scandalous ass shit, haha! Spoiler…Mr. Grey will get the upper hand with an ex of Ana's. No surprise.**

 **Right now, I'm still aiming to finish this story in the next three chapters, but I may have to slide one more in there. We will see! I promise that AMT will conclude before the end of the year. I need to finish this so we can all move on with our lives, haha!**

 **Oh, make sure you read Family Business before it comes down in July. I will be turning that into an original series that will publish in November and December. Also, if you are in my Storie Tells All FB group, I'm having a giveaway for one of my books based on this chapter!**

 **Thank you so much for sticking with AMT! Until next time.**

 **\- TK (aka storietella2)**


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